Coercion
by ArmAndLeg
Summary: Mako forces Bolin to do the unthinkable after a heavy night of drinking. The day after, Tahno reveals he knows more about their situation than Mako would like and intends to blackmail the older brother. One sided Makolin, Mako/Tahno, n/c, incest. And now Borra AU (Now complete)
1. Chapter 1

Bolin greeted Mako with a grin as his brother walked into their apartment. "What's up, bro? Have a good night?"

Mako grinned back at Bolin, approaching him slowly. Bolin ran his fingers over Pabu's head, scratching just behind the ferret's ears while reclining a bit on the couch. "Korra came by earlier, she said she wanted to talk to you about something."

"I'll talk to her tomorrow," Mako said, flopping onto the couch beside Bolin. Pabu stood up on Bolin's shoulders before scurrying off into a different room. He put an arm around Bolin's shoulders, leaning against his brother.

The smell of liquor wafted over to Bolin, causing him to wrinkle his nose a bit. "You've been drinking," he said quietly, moving Mako's arm off of his shoulder. "I'm going to bed, Mako. G'night." Quickly, Bolin stood up, heading towards his bunk.

"I'm going with you," Mako muttered, getting off the couch himself. He followed Bolin.

"Your bed's over there, Mako."

"I want to share yours." Now, Bolin could hear the slurring as Mako spoke. He tried to hide his shudder as he climbed into his loft, glancing at Mako before sighing.

"Mako, I don't think that's a good idea," he said finally, watching as Mako stumbled his way up the ladder.

For being drunk, Mako was fast. He made it into the loft, sliding in beside his brother. Bolin knew that look in Mako's eye - he swallowed thickly, trying to hide his nerves. Maybe Mako would just pass out. He _hoped_ that Mako would just pass out. As Mako's arm snaked around Bolin's waist, Bolin knew he wouldn't be so lucky as to have Mako simply pass out within minutes.

Bolin turned away from his brother, letting Mako press against his back. He closed his eyes tightly, hoping that the arm around his waist was all he'd have to deal with tonight. When Mako's breathing seemed to steady, and the arm limp around his waist, Bolin let out a sigh of relief, running his fingers through his hair.

"Y'know, Bo, I've been thinking," Mako began, startling Bolin. Mako propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at Bolin. The arm around Bolin's waist tightened, pulling Bolin closer to Mako.

"About what, Mako?" Bolin asked despite himself, glancing at Mako.

"We should have sex."

"What? No! Mako, we're brothers - that's just - that's just wrong! And gross!" Bolin tried to slide out from under Mako's arm, but Mako was quicker than him. Pinning him to the thin bed, Mako straddled his brother, one hand on the collar of Bolin's shirt, the other holding a small flame.

"After all I've done for you - you're going to just say no?" Mako hissed. "Do you know how hard it was to keep you safe? How hard it was to get enough money to keep us fed? What a pain in the ass you were at six years old?"

The flame was brandished in front of Bolin's face. Bolin tried to move his face away from the flame, but he could feel the heat come off of it. The angrier Mako's tone became, the larger the flame grew.

Gulping, Bolin glanced at the flame before turning to his brother. "B-But Mako -"

"But nothing, Bolin!" Mako shouted, extinguishing the flame. "Can you see I love you, Bo? I just - I just want to show you how much..."

"It - it's okay, Mako," Bolin whispered, internally breathing a sigh of relief. Normally, Mako would move. Mako would get off of Bolin and move back to his own bed.

Instead, Mako leaned forward, kissing his brother. Bolin's protests were muffled by Mako's tongue slipping inside his mouth. Instinctively, Bolin pushed Mako off of him, wiping at his mouth. "What the hell, Mako?"

A burst of fire flew past Bolin's head. "Damnit, Bolin, I'm tired of you always turning me down! Why can't you be the good little boy you used to be and do as I tell you, for once?"

Bolin glanced at the scorched wood behind him before turning to look at Mako once again. Frowning, he bowed his head. Mako had another flame at the ready; Bolin could feel the tears coming but he halted them, looking up at his brother. "Will you stop if I say yes?"

The flame disappeared with a dull pop. Mako crawled on top of his brother, pushing Bolin back down onto the thin mattress. This time, Bolin let Mako kiss him, trying to ignore the taste of alcohol on Mako's breath. He tried to ignore Mako's hands clumsily pulling at the hem of his shirt. Just one night. He could tolerate this for one night.

Mako stopped to remove his shirt, before removing Bolin's. For a moment, Bolin thought that the kissing was enough. Mako seemed to stop, staring at Bolin blankly before he bent forward again, his lips brushing against Bolin's Adam's apple. Mako nipped at Bolin's collar bone, his hand tracing the edge of Bolin's neck.

Despite himself, Bolin moaned. Still, he tried to concentrate on anything else other than what his brother was doing. As Mako's mouth dipped lower, his tongue teasing one of Bolin's nipples, Bolin knew he couldn't ignore what was going on. His pants felt tighter - his body was reacting, even if he was trying to block everything out.

Bolin's growing erection seemed to spur Mako on further, his hands sliding past the edge of Bolin's pants. Clumsily, Mako removed the last pieces of clothing between them. Bolin looked up at his brother. He found himself pouting, pleading with Mako to stop with his eyes. Surely, seeing his little brother naked and hard was enough? Mako didn't really need to have sex with him, did he?

When Mako's hands spread Bolin's legs open wider, his fingers probing Bolin's tight entrance, Bolin resisted the urge to vomit. One finger went in, pumping in and out of him. Then another. Then another. Closing his eyes, Bolin threw his head back, determined to look anywhere than at his brother. It hurt. It hurt, but he didn't want to say anything. Didn't want to upset Mako.

So when Mako removed his fingers, only to replace them with his dick, Bolin stifled his pained whimper. It would be over soon. He would have his brother back, not the man who was currently violating him.

"Such a good little brother..." Mako murmured into his shoulder, thrusting into Bolin shallowly. Bolin could only nod as he tried to ignore Mako's fingers wrapping around him. His brother's hands were smoother than his own. The touch caused him to shudder once again. He own brother was touching him this way. His own brother was fucking him.

The tears he held back earlier began to fall, and he silently prayed that Mako would reach his peak quickly. That it would all be over soon, and he could go to sleep and try to forget everything that was happening. So he could forget how good Mako's hand felt rubbing his dick - so he could forget the little jolts of pleasure he experienced every time Mako struck a particularly deep spot inside of him.

When Mako came, he grunted to a stop, his eyes closed. When he opened them again, he and Bolin shared one long, lingering look.

Bolin could have sworn he saw guilt skitter across Mako's expression before he pulled out of Bolin, bending over to kiss his little brother one last time.

* * *

The next morning, Bolin was sore. He sat gingerly on the couch, idly petting Pabu. When Mako woke up, he avoided his gaze as much as possible. Being reminded of the night before every time he sat down was hard enough, but looking his brother in the eye brought back every sensation he had felt last night.

They ate breakfast in silence. Bolin hoped that Mako wouldn't ask him any questions - he also hoped that Mako didn't remember what happened. But when he looked up at Mako, opening his mouth to thank him for breakfast, their eyes met for the first time that morning.

"Bolin, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Fine. Just fine," Bolin muttered, getting up from the makeshift table. "I'm - gonna head down to the gym. Get ready for practice and all that jazz."

Mako grabbed his arm, holding Bolin in place. "No, you're not okay. I know you don't wanna talk about last night any more than I do, but -"

"Everything's _fine_, Mako." Bolin wrenched his arm out of Mako's grasp. "I'll see ya at practice."

"Bolin - please, wait!"

Bolin tried to ignore the desperation in Mako's tone as he motioned Pabu to follow him, the ferret climbing onto his shoulders. Did Mako remember? Most nights, he was too drunk to remember any of the advances he had made on Bolin. Sighing, Bolin climbed down the apartment steps, keeping his eyes in front of him.

He knew they would eventually have to talk. As much as he didn't want to address what happened with Mako, if Mako remembered, they would talk about it.

Practice was excruciatingly painful. He avoided Mako whenever possible, but they were teammates: they had no choice but to interact with one another. Every time he faked a smile, Korra would quirk an eyebrow at him.

"What is up with you two?" she asked finally, throwing the medicine ball towards Bolin. "You've barely spoken to one another! Are you two fighting?"

Bolin tossed the ball towards Mako, looking away from Korra. "We're fine. We just didn't get a lot of sleep last night," Mako said, looking away from Bolin as he tossed the ball to her.

"You could have canceled practice! I'd have loved to have been able to sleep in!" Korra said, grinning. "Why not cut practice short, today? So you two can get some rest."

Bolin wanted to protest the idea, but Mako appeared to be considering it. His brother glanced at him for a moment before nodding. "Sure. Just don't be late tomorrow, okay, Korra?"

"Wouldn't dream of it! I'm gonna go head out - see ya guys later!"

"Later, Korra," Bolin said behind her, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. He watched as Mako began picking up the gym equipment, putting everything back in its place. "I'll meet you upstairs, Mako."

Mako only nodded before sighing. "We ever going to talk about last night, Bo?" he said after a minute, looking up from what he was doing.

Biting his lip, Bolin looked away from Mako. "I don't...really want to talk about it, Mako. Can't we just - forget it ever happened?"

"Bolin..." Mako put down the last piece of equipment, walking over to his little brother. "I really hurt you last night, didn't I?" His voice shook.

Bolin felt the tears well up in his eyes before looking up at Mako. Mako's lips were pressed together in a thin line. His own eyes were filled with tears. Was his brother...remorseful for what happened? How was he supposed to answer that? How was he supposed to tell his own brother - yes, you bastard, you _raped_ me?

Was it truly rape, though? He had said yes, after all. Before he could say anything, Mako had his arms around him, holding him tightly. "I'm so sorry, Bo," he whispered, his own voice cracking. "I shouldn't have - I shouldn't have forced you to do that."

"You...you raped me, Mako," Bolin managed, pushing his brother away. "I - I can't. I'm going upstairs."

"I know," Mako said quietly, hanging his head. "I don't even know why I did it, but I'm sorry. I'm so incredibly sorry and I wish I could do something to take back what I did. You didn't deserve that - no one deserves what I did to you."

Bolin had turned away from him, walking towards the door to the gym as Mako spoke. He paused at the door, wanting to look back towards his brother, but couldn't find the strength to do so. Instead, he pushed the door open, throwing his towel over his shoulder.

Maybe one day things would go back to normal.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Mako stepped into their apartment, noticing Bolin immediately. Bolin sat on the couch, his feet on the couch, legs positioned just so he could rest his head on his knees. It took every ounce of his strength not to run over to Bolin, to walk past his little brother and over to the tiny stove. On his way to the stove, though, he paused, placing a small bag of dumplings beside Bolin.

"What do you want for dinner, Bo?" he asked quietly, lighting the flame as he reached for a pot with his other hand.

"I don't care."

Mako tried not to wince at Bolin's tone. "Would you rather I didn't make dinner?'

"I don't care." Mako could hear Bolin shift on the couch. There were footsteps. "I'm not hungry, anyway."

This time, Mako did wince. He glanced over his shoulder, watching as Bolin began climbing the ladder to his loft before turning back around to face the small stove.

He realized he wasn't very hungry, either. Sighing, Mako put the flame out before turning around, focusing his attention on the empty couch.

The dumplings sat right where he had left them.

Mako tried to remember the last time Bolin had turned down dumplings. They seemed to be the only things that could cheer Bolin up, when he was like this. But this time - this time was different. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Mako tried to keep himself calm. He could feel his hands heat up with unfocused energy. He would not firebend in the apartment out of frustration. He would not.

So he took a few steps, pausing at the ladder to Bolin's loft. "I'm going out, Bolin," he called out, hoping that Bolin would somehow react to his statement. When there were no signs of movement, Mako could only sigh once again, walking the rest of the way to the staircase.

"Mako, wait," Bolin said hesitantly from behind him. Pabu chirped, as if he were also trying to get Mako's attention.

"Yeah, Bo?" Mako didn't turn around. He didn't want to see Bolin's face - every time he did, it reminded him of the night before. The tears rolling down his brother's face, the look of pain. Again, Mako could feel the tips of his fingers tingle, itching to create another fire. To burn those same hands that hurt his little brother.

"Don't - don't go," Bolin whispered. Mako risked turning around, noticing that Bolin was leaning over the edge of his loft, watching Mako. "Or - at least, don't drink."

But drinking was all he could do - Mako couldn't exactly burn himself, in order to ease the pain. Drinking would dull the pain; drinking would help him forget what he had done.

But what if he did it to Bolin again? Would he have hurt Bolin if he hadn't been drinking? Frowning, Mako nodded, closing his fists. His fingers still tingled, singeing the insides of his palms. He winced, unfurling his hands, glad that his fingerless gloves prevented him from burning himself too badly. "Alright," he said quietly, sitting down on the couch. "I won't go."

Bolin nodded, laying back down on his bed. Mako could hardly see him from where he was, which helped him feel better somewhat. Bolin wanted him to stay. Bolin didn't completely hate him. Mako ran his fingers through his hair before resting his head in his hands. "I don't know what to do, Bo - I want nothing more than to make things up to you," he muttered into his fingers, willing the tears away.

"You know how you could make things up to me?" Bolin asked after a few minutes. "Don't ever drink again."

Mako looked up, noticing that Bolin was staring right at him. Could he give up drinking entirely? The night before flashed before his eyes. All he could see was Bolin's pain - and the way Bolin looked at him that morning. He wouldn't have done that if he hadn't been drinking. He'd have had the control to stop himself.

Slowly, Mako nodded. "I won't drink again," he whispered, making eye contact with Bolin as he said it. "I don't - I haven't - "

"Last night was the first time," Bolin answered, moving towards the edge of his loft, swinging his feet over the ladder. He rested his elbows on his thighs, leaning forward. "But you - have asked, in the past. You used to stop when I said no, though."

"Why didn't you tell me to stop drinking sooner?" Mako could feel the familiar heat forming in his hands once again. He would not get angry. He would keep his anger in check. It was Bolin who was hurt, not him. He needed to focus on Bolin. Needed to make things better. "And why don't I remember this?"

Bolin shrugged, leaning back a bit. For the first time, Mako noticed bruises pockmarking Bolin's neck. He had done that. And the way Bolin was sitting - he could tell he was in physical pain just as much as he was in emotional pain. Mako looked away from his brother once again. As angry as he was at himself, he still wanted to touch his brother. Wanted to feel what it was like to be between his legs, if Bolin were truly willing.

It disgusted him. This was his brother - his little brother, the same brother he had sworn to protect from the evils of this world. And he was the largest evil of all. He failed to protect him. Failed to keep his own desires in check, and hurt Bolin worse than anything else in this world ever could have.

"I'm disgusting," Mako muttered, getting up from the couch. He walked over to his side of the room, climbed into his own loft and threw himself down on his bed.

The whole time, he could feel Bolin watch his every move. Bolin's silence said more than words could ever say.

* * *

Mako had tried to fall asleep, but couldn't. The room had gone dark; he could hear Bolin snore quietly in his bed. How long had he been asleep? Would Bolin have any nightmares that night? Slowly, Mako sat up, putting a hand to his head. Part of him wanted to wake Bolin up, wanted to beg for forgiveness once again, but he stopped himself from doing so. It would be better to let Bolin sleep.

Instead, he quietly climbed down his ladder. He would go out. Clear his mind - maybe Toza would let him in the gym, so he could throw a few fireballs. Every time he had gotten close to passing out, his hands would heat up unbearably. He had too much pent up anger - with no real outlet.

As he approached the gym, he immediately knew it was locked. The last time he had asked Toza for a key had not gone well. Sighing, he kicked the door to the gym before walking around to the arena. Also locked. Of course.

Part of him whispered to go out drinking - that Bolin wouldn't know, as long as he didn't come home drunk. It would put out the fire burning in his chest. It would keep his hands from spontaneously producing flames. But Bolin had asked him not to. And he couldn't risk hurting Bolin again. He wasn't sure Bolin could handle any more pain.

Mako found himself out on the street in front of the arena. He shivered briefly in the cold winter air before flinging a few flames out into the street. He put the flames out quickly before they could burn anything in particular, but even letting out a few fireballs helped calm his nerves somewhat.

"Why, isn't it one of the Fire Faggots," a drawling voice said from behind him.

Mako tensed, keeping the flames at bay as he turned around. "What do you want, Tahno?" he growled, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Where's that delectable little brother of yours? You two are practically inseparable," Tahno asked, smirking as he approached Mako. He crossed his arms over his chest.

Mako frowned, turning on his heel. "I told you, leave Bolin alone."

Mako stopped walking away when a hand gripped his shoulder tightly. "I saw you at Narook's last night. How drunk you were," Tahno said, leaning in to whisper in Mako's ear. "I remember you saying something about how much you wanted your brother. Well, you didn't explicitly say your brother - but you sure dropped enough hints that I figured out who you were talking about. Earthbender. Sixteen. Crush on that insufferable Avatar..."

"What do you _want_, Tahno?" Mako repeated, grabbing Tahno's hand tightly before pushing it off his shoulder.

"If you don't want me to tell the press about your - _unsavory_ feelings for your little brother, then you will do whatever I tell you to, Fire Faggot," Tahno said.

"Stop bullshitting me, Tahno. You and I both know you won't go to the press. I have enough on you to disqualify you for the tournament, if you so much as breathe a word about me," Mako muttered, balling his fists inside his pockets. He would not firebend at the bastard in front of him. He _would not. _

"Wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry, Mako?" Tahno asked, grinning. "All I ask is for one night with your little brother. Just him and me." He approached Mako, his grin never faltering. "Or...if the idea of anyone else touching your little brother is a bit too much for you, I can take _you_ back to my place..." Tahno reached out, lightly touching Mako's face.

Mako breathed in deeply through his nose, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he looked directly at Tahno. "Your place, and not a word to the press," he said, straightening his back. He couldn't let Bolin get hurt - not again. What Mako had done to him was enough; he wouldn't let Tahno defile him further.

"I thought you'd never ask..." Tahno drawled, grabbing Mako's arm. "Come with me, little Ferret. We're about to have some fun..." Mako let Tahno drag him away from the probending arena, glancing up towards their apartment.

Hopefully, Bolin would keep sleeping and not notice that Mako was missing.


	3. Chapter 3

Despite being a champion pro-bender three years running, Tahno's apartment was sparse. In the living room, there was a radio and a couch - and that was about it. Tahno spared no time, placing a loose arm around Mako's shoulders, dragging him towards the couch.

"Now...why don't you sit on the couch and make yourself more comfortable..." As Tahno spoke, Mako felt a weird sensation overcome his body. He jerked forward, muscles moving entirely on their own as his body made its way to the couch.

"What the - ?" Mako's body spun around, making him face Tahno. His hands were in the air, in a stance Mako was unfamiliar with. As Tahno moved his hands, Mako felt his boy move once again without his consent, landing unceremoniously onto the couch.

"Didn't notice the full moon out tonight, did you?" Tahno drawled, smirking. He approached Mako slowly, lowering his hands. "You're going to do everything I tell you to - and if you don't listen, I'll _make_ you do it." Mako felt a tightening around his chest, finding it difficult to breathe. "Now _strip_."

At the command, the weird sensation came over him again, causing Mako to first remove his father's scarf. His actions were jerky, uncoordinated. Every time he fumbled with a piece of clothing, Tahno laughed. "What's the matter, Fire Faggot? Is stripping that difficult for you? I know you're really anxious to be fucked, but you _can_ take your time..."

Once Mako was naked, Tahno kept his grip on Mako's extremities, pulling Mako's arms behind his back. Tahno leaned over him, grabbing the scarf from behind Mako with one hand. "Be a dear and stay still for me," he breathed into Mako's ear. The gripping sensation left him as Tahno quickly tied Mako's hands together with his scarf. He straightened Mako out on the couch, having him set at the edge of it. With one hand, Tahno undid his belt, pulling his pants down.

"I think you know what to do..." Mako glared at Tahno, clamping his mouth shut. "Don't be shy, Fire Faggot, I'm sure you've practiced this plenty of times on your little brother..." Tahno forced Mako's mouth open with bloodbending, pushing his cock past Mako's lips. "Bite me, and you'll come to regret it."

Mako reluctantly dragged his tongue along the tip, trying to pull his arms free of his scarf while he did so. Tahno smirked down at him, one hand tangling itself in Mako's hair. "Don't be shy, Mako...take it all in." Mako gagged as Tahno thrust his head further onto Tahno's cock, his reflexes resisting the sudden intrusion.

Mako adjusted as well as he could, wrapping his lips around Tahno. He reminded himself that he was doing this for Bolin. To keep Bolin safe - to protect whatever innocence Bolin had left, after last night. Tahno let out a low moan as Mako began to bob his head up and down, his fingers tangling even further into Mako's hair.

"That's a good boy...suck me off like you would that savory little brother of yours." Tahno grabbed Mako's hair, forcing Mako to look upward. "Just remember whose cock you're sucking." Tahno pushed his head back down, allowing Mako to return to what he was doing.

"I figured you'd be better at this. Have you been saving yourself for your brother?" Tahno taunted. "I'm not even getting close. Should have known that an amateur probender like yourself would be amateur at sucking cock."

Mako felt his neck tense and wrench away from Tahno, his mouth suddenly empty. Was it over? Did Tahno get bored of him?

When Mako felt his body move by an outside force once again, his stomach sank to his feet. Tahno had made himself comfortable on the couch beside Mako, forcing the firebender to stand in front of him before making Mako climb into his lap involuntarily. "Ride me," Tahno ordered simply, forcing Mako's body onto his cock.

Mako bit his lip, trying not to cry out in pain as he was split open. Was this how Bolin felt last night when he entered him? Did it hurt this much for Bolin? Mako felt the tears come up, but he forced them back as he cautiously rose himself up Tahno's cock, trying to adjust to the other man's girth. All Mako could think about was the night before, how he had forced himself on Bolin. How much it must have hurt.

"I said _ride me_," Tahno growled, forcing Mako to move at a much faster pace. Getting the hint, Mako tried to take back control of his own body, bouncing up and down Tahno's cock. These actions seemed to please Tahno as he smirked up at Mako, his long fingers gripping Mako's hips. "Tell me, Fire Faggot. If I were your brother, would you be on top? Bolin seems like such a bottom to me...perfectly round ass. Legs to _die _for."

Mako tried to ignore the images Tahno painted in his mind; he tried to keep focused on the task at hand. He didn't want to imagine Bolin naked - didn't want to be reminded of how tight his little brother was, how it had felt to be surrounded by his warmth. The way Bolin's legs felt draped over his shoulders.

So instead, he looked directly into Tahno's face, trying to will the blood to stop pooling in his groin. He would not get hard. Tahno could fuck him as much as he wanted, but he would _not_ get hard. But Tahno's smirk grew even more sinister, one of his hands ghosting over Mako's half-hard cock. "This right here tells me everything I wanted to know..." he muttered, tightening his hand around Mako's cock. Despite himself, Mako felt himself grow harder in Tahno's hand.

As Mako slid himself up and down Tahno's cock, he tried to forget the night before and how it had felt to be inside Bolin. He tried to ignore the way Tahno's breath was starting to hitch, the hand pumping him up and down. This couldn't last for much longer - Tahno would bore of taunting him, eventually.

When Tahno's nails began digging into Mako's hips, he knew Tahno was close. Mako forced himself to keep going, trying to ignore the hand around him. "I bet you wish Bolin were here right now, running his hands all over you. Fucking you, just like I am..." Tahno moaned, leaning into the couch a bit as he thrust upwards.

"What kind of sick freak would rather fuck their brother? Does he know, little Fire Faggot? Does he know his - older brother wants to fuck him? Because I can arrange it so that he finds out..."

Mako felt his blood run cold as Tahno shuddered to a stop inside him, gasping as he came. He wouldn't. He wouldn't _dare _talk to Bolin about this. After a few moments, Tahno pushed Mako off of him, causing the firebender to land on the floor ungracefully, grabbing the edge of Mako's scarf as he did so. The scarf unraveled in his hands, freeing Mako's arms.

"Get dressed, freak, and get the hell out of here," Tahno said, tossing Mako's clothes over to him. "Wouldn't want that little brother of yours to worry about you, would you?"

Mako glared at Tahno, rubbing his wrists before throwing his clothes back on as quickly as possible. "You got what you wanted," he muttered, speaking for the first time since he arrived at the apartment. "Isn't that enough?"

"I guess it'll have to be...but if you want to remain in the tournament, you better keep quiet about what happened. Or else everyone will know that Mako of the Fire Ferrets wants to fuck his little brother..." As Tahno hitched up his pants, he once again reached deep inside Mako, forcing him towards the door. "Now _get out_."

The door shut behind him, cutting the hold Tahno had over him. For a moment, Mako just stood there, feeling every ache and pain in his body. He rolled his shoulders, relishing in the fact that he had complete control over his body once again. As he began walking away from Tahno's apartment, he glanced at the sky. It was, thankfully, still dark.

When he made it back to the arena, he noticed immediately that the light in their apartment was on. Mako hoped he was seeing things, sighing as he walked through the arena doors. Each step up the stairs to their apartment was agonizing, reminding him of the abuse Tahno had put him through. When he reached the last staircase to their apartment, he allowed himself to take a moment to calm his nerves.

So far, he had remained true to his word. He would not drink ever again. But right now, after everything that had just transpired in Tahno's sparse apartment, he really, really wanted one. Wanted to just head back the way he went and stop in at a bar. Instead, he willed himself up the stairs, taking them as quickly as possible. If Bolin were, in fact, still awake, Mako wanted to make sure he appeared to be perfectly okay. Bolin had enough on his mind, he didn't want to make Bolin worry about him, too.

As he stepped into their apartment, Bolin was once again on the couch, staring at Mako expectantly. The bag of dumplings Mako had bought earlier were half empty. For the first time that day, Mako managed a smile. "Can I - can I have one?" he asked quietly, sitting beside Bolin on the couch, hiding his wince as much as possible. He made sure to leave plenty of space.

Bolin wordlessly handed Mako a dumpling before grabbing another one for himself. "I couldn't sleep," Mako continued, taking a small bite of the dumpling. Bolin watched his every move, quirking an eyebrow. "I went out for a walk, to clear my head."

Bolin nodded, swallowing his mouthful of food. "You've been gone for two hours," he said simply. "Where'd you go?"

"Around. I really wanted to go mess around in the gym for a bit but it was locked." He really didn't want to lie to Bolin. The half-truth would do. He was sure by now Bolin realized he hadn't been drinking, as Bolin relaxed a bit beside him.

"You're...really mad at yourself, aren't you?" Bolin asked, looking away from Mako. "Why did you do it? Why me?"

Mako bit his lip. He did love his brother - a little too much. Tahno was right, what kind of sick freak would prefer their sibling over everyone else in the world? He couldn't say that, though. Who rapes the person they love? Looking away from Bolin, Mako sighed, resting his head in his hands. "Because I'm an idiot," he muttered.

It was Bolin's turn to sigh. "I'll say." Mako felt a heavy hand squeeze his shoulder. The two sat in silence for a few moments. Mako jumped when he felt Bolin lean against him, his head on Mako's shoulder. "Just...don't ever let it happen again, okay, Mako?" Bolin asked.

Mako turned to him, staring right into those bright green eyes. They were still filled with pain, but there was a glimmer of understanding. Of forgiveness. Slowly, Mako placed an arm around Bolin's shoulders, giving his brother an one-armed hug. "I won't, Bo. I promise," he whispered. He desperately wanted to kiss Bolin's forehead, but instead settled for pulling Bolin in closer, holding his brother to his chest.

The shift in weight, however, caused Mako to wince. Bolin frowned, narrowing his eyes at Mako. Mako raised an eyebrow at him, trying to ignore the pain that radiated through his bottom. "What?" Mako asked, scratching the side of his face. He smiled nervously at Bolin, who just sighed and shook his head.

"We should get some sleep."

"Yeah... Korra will have our heads if we can't concentrate at practice, tomorrow," Mako said quietly. He didn't want Bolin to move. He wanted to hold Bolin like this, forever. But as Bolin began to move away from him, he had no choice but to let Bolin go.

Mako knew, deep down, that things weren't back to normal. But they were already vastly improved over that morning. He wanted desperately to follow Bolin into his bed like he had the night before, to forget the way Tahno's hands had felt on his body. At the same time, he didn't want to worry Bolin anymore than he already had. Slowly, Mako got off of the couch and headed towards his own bed.

He hoped they could put this whole mess behind them - and soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Slowly, things went back to normal. Bolin could finally sleep easy at night, knowing that Mako would never touch another drink ever again. They joked around, talked about girls, had fun. When Asami crashed into their lives, quite literally, Bolin had appeared relieved. They could still do the championship, after all, with her help and financial support.

When Asami had asked him out, he had wanted to turn her down. But Mako knew he had to do something about his feelings for his brother. Bolin didn't return his feelings, he knew that. And after the Incident, he was certain Bolin never would. He had to move on. Had to find a way to erase those feelings.

Practices were always the hardest. Watching Bolin move stirred those feelings all over again, and whenever Bolin began hitting on Korra, he had to look away in order to hide his scowl. Bolin was allowed to fall in love with someone other than him, he had to remind himself. Bolin could have whoever he wanted, as long as he was happy. But it still hurt, watching Bolin faintly blush whenever Korra would help him with his stances. It hurt even more to watch her flirt back - it meant that the feelings were, on some level, mutual between them.

Which meant that Mako truly never would have a chance. At the very least, Tahno had stayed away from them, keeping true to his word not to speak of Mako's feelings to the press. Now and again, Mako would see Tahno's picture in the paper and feel a shiver run up his spine. At times, Mako considered turning the tables on Tahno, blackmailing him.

But he would never stoop so low. Bolin would look down on him for it, and he didn't want to upset Bolin any further than he already had, in the past couple of weeks. So he instead busied himself with Asami, trying to ignore his brother. Like right now, Bolin was stepping out of the gym's shower in just a towel. Mako looked away, running his fingers through his hair as he willed his growing erection away.

"Oh, hey, Mako," Bolin said, noticing his brother sitting on the bench. "Were you waiting for me?"

Mako kept his eyes averted as Bolin dressed quickly. "I - just lost track of time. I should really head out and meet up with Asami for lunch." He got up, heading towards the locker room doors. "I'll be back later with dinner - and then we have to start getting ready for the tournament."

Bolin, now dressed, approached Mako slowly. "Can - can Asami wait a little longer? I need to talk to you about something. Not here, though. In the apartment?"

Mako raised an eyebrow before nodding. The two of them walked out of the locker room together in silence, Mako still trying to will his erection away. Bolin, thankfully, didn't notice. Mako let Bolin walk up the attic steps first, trying to keep his eyes anywhere else but in front of him. "So what did you want to talk about, Bo?"

"How do you...go about asking a girl out?" Bolin asked shyly, worrying the hem of his shirt.

Mako's heart sank. Of course. Of course Bolin would want to ask Korra out - his crush could be seen from a mile away. Sighing, Mako crossed his arms over his chest. "You just _ask. _But you shouldn't date a teammate."

"But it's Korra, bro! She's smart - she's fun!" Bolin frowned. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Mako blinked, frowning. He uncrossed his arms, putting a hand on his hip. "Of course not, Bo. Dating a teammate during the championship tournament is a bad idea. We need your head in the game, not in the clouds."

"Oh, come _on_, Mako, you can't be serious. You're dating Asami and you're head is still in the game, isn't it? How would my dating Korra would be any different?"

"Because she's a _teammate, _Bolin," Mako huffed, turning around. "You two can't be making goo-goo eyes at each other while we're trying to win against the competition. And what if she turns you down? I don't want to be picking up the pieces if she rejects you."

"Really, Mako? You think she's going to reject me? We're perfect for one another!" Bolin pushed past Mako. "Whatever. I'm going to just ask her out."

Mako watched Bolin practically run back down the attic stairs, sighing and shaking his head. He ran his fingers through his hair before following his brothers footsteps. He had to meet up with Asami, after all. He had to let Bolin go and date people. He had to learn to be okay with this. But his stomach twisted in agony. He had to keep it together. The tournament started that night. He couldn't let his feelings get the better of him.

He hoped that his lunch date with Asami would be enough to distract him from the anxiety building in his chest.

* * *

Bolin fidgeted nervously in his seat as he watched Korra eat her food. He tried to make small talk, his words coming out in a rush. Internally, he cringed at what he was saying. She had to know he was nervous. But she smiled at him anyway, responded to what he had to say with enthusiasm. He couldn't help but to relax, grateful that for once, he had ignored Mako's words of warning.

The date seemed to move smoothly, with them having burping contests. He could be himself with her; he didn't have to walk on eggshells around her. With Mako, lately, he often had to stop and think about what he was doing. He sometimes had to be careful of what he said. It was refreshing. Needed, almost. As Korra bent over the edge of the railing of the tower, her eyes growing wide at the sights that surrounded them, Bolin couldn't help but to look at her in awe.

"We should really be heading back to the arena," he said quietly, bending down so that he was leaning over the railing right with her. He smiled softly at her, putting an arm around her shoulders. When she didn't move away, he felt his heart begin to pound. This - this felt right. This wasn't awkward, this wasn't forced.

She turned and smiled at him, leaning into him. "We should...but I really don't want to," Korra said quietly. Bolin watched as she raised a hand to his face, placing it lightly on his cheek as she brushed her lips against his own. His heart stopped. He held his breath. When she pulled away, she was blushing, but still smiling. "C'mon, we've got a match to win!" She punched him on the shoulder, walking away from the railing, heading towards the stairs.

"R-Right!" Bolin managed, following her. She put her hand out for him; he didn't hesitate, putting his own hand inside her own. Between the hand-holding and the kiss, Bolin could have floated his way back to the arena. He couldn't believe it. When they arrived back at the arena, they were still holding hands.

But then he remembered Mako, and his smile began to fade. How would his brother take this? He and Korra walked into the locker room, where Mako stood, already in his uniform. "I was worried you two wouldn't show," he muttered. His eyes drifted to their interlocked hands. Bolin could see his face darken for a fraction of a second before Mako set his mouth in a thin line. "Hurry up, will you? We're on in ten minutes."

Bolin looked away from Mako as Mako walked past him, avoiding eye contact. Instead, he walked over to his locker, letting go of Korra's hand as he did so. She grinned at Bolin, turning towards his own locker. "Well, you heard him! Let's go kick some Rabbiroo ass!" she said as she began pulling on his uniform. "They won't stand a chance against us!"

Bolin found himself smiling at Korra's excitement. He would worry about Mako later - they had a match to win and he needed his head in the game. As they walked out onto the platform, standing behind Mako, he put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Ready to kick some ass, bro?" he asked.

Mako managed a small smile back at him. "Are you?" he returned, smirking. "Just keep your head in the game, okay? We can't afford to lose."

Bolin nodded, turning back to Korra. The arena grew louder as the Rabbiroos were introduced, walking into the ring. When the Fire Ferrets were introduced, Bolin waved to the cheering fans in the crowd. Korra did the same, both of them flexing to show they appreciated their fans support.

The mood was contagious. Even Mako acknowledged the crowd, which was unlike him. As they stepped onto the ring, Bolin knew it was going to be a good game. They had this in the bag. When the starting bell rang, the three of them moved in perfect unison, hitting the Rabbiroos left and right. For the first time in years, Bolin was confident that things were truly looking up. That things would get better for him and his brother and _stay_ better. He had a girlfriend - his brother had stopped drinking. They were the rookies, the underdogs heading into a championship.

He could get used to things going smoothly for them. The matches seemed to just blur right by them, the three of them acting as a well-oiled machine. Perfectly in sync. When they were announced as the winners of the match, Bolin hugged both Mako and Korra. They did it! They won! Mako seemed to stiffen in his arms, but he didn't care. When Bolin pulled away from his brother, he could see a flicker of confusion - of hurt.

They walked into the locker room together, all three of them changing out of their uniforms, babbling excitedly about the match they just won. Korra finished changing first, rushing over to Bolin. She kissed him on the cheek. "Good night, Bolin. 'Night, Mako! I'll see you guys tomorrow at practice!"

Bolin felt himself turn red at the kiss. He watched as Korra left, waving as she walked out the locker room door. For a moment, he just stood there, grinning stupidly, before he turned back around and finished getting dressed. Thankfully, Mako remained silent, choosing to continue standing by the door. He wasn't looking at Bolin - Bolin preferred it that way.

"We did great out there, didn't we, Mako?" he said quietly as they began heading towards their apartment. "And you were worried about me dating a teammate!"

Mako frowned just slightly. "Yeah...looks like your date went well," he muttered, looking away from Bolin.

"It went amazing! She kissed me, bro! It was perfect. Next time, I'll bring her flowers - now, I know Korra doesn't seem like the type to like flowers, but I think they'd go over well," Bolin said excitedly, walking around his brother. He could see Mako's face darken with every word. "She's amazing. I'm not sure how I managed to find a girl like her."

Mako only nodded, still avoiding eye contact with Bolin. "I'm...happy for you, Bo," he said after a moment as they walked up the stairs to their apartment. "Korra's great. Just keep your head in the game, okay?"

Bolin frowned. "You don't sound happy. You sound jealous."

It was almost imperceptable, but Mako winced. "What? I'm with Asami. There's no reason for me to be jealous."

"You don't actually _like_ Asami, do you?" Bolin asked, studying his brother as he sat down on the couch.

"I like her just fine, Bolin," Mako returned, scowling. He headed towards his side of the room, stopping when he reached the ladder to his loft. "I'm just worried about you, Bo. I don't want you to get hurt."

Bolin rolled his eyes. "You don't have to protect me anymore, Mako! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Then why'd you get captured by the Equalists?"

Bolin scowled, walking over to Mako's side of the room. "You can't be serious, Mako. You need to learn to let go, bro." When his words were meet with silence, Bolin walked back over to the attic doors. "I'm going out. I don't feel like arguing with you all night."

He could hear Mako calling him as he shut the door to their apartment, but Bolin knew better than to stay behind and listen to what Mako had to say. They could talk later. For now, he just wanted a nice bowl of noddles.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry about the lack of updates, guys. Been working on some original fiction and the like for this writing contest I'm participating in on LJ. Had to finish those entries, first. ;)

* * *

Bolin picked at his noddles, trying to will the image of Mako's face out of his mind. He didn't want his good mood to sour just because Mako was jealous. Mako had Asami! Asami was beautiful, sweet, and kind. She was practically made for Mako, so what was Mako's problem? Couldn't he see that Bolin was happy? Couldn't he just let Bolin enjoy himself?

Bolin slurped up another noodle, furrowing his brow. He felt a chill go up his spine, causing him to look up from his bowl. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tahno from the Wolfbats smirking at him from his customary corner booth. Bolin looked away, bringing his attention back to his noodles. Maybe, just maybe, Tahno would leave him alone and not come over to him. He kept his eyes downward, focusing on the food he was eating.

It didn't work. Bolin felt Tahno's distinctive footsteps approach him, calculated, solid. Gulping, Bolin tried not to choke on his mouthful of noodles as Tahno stood beside him, his smirk ever present on his face as Bolin looked up. He offered Tahno a shaky smile.

"Saw your game tonight. Not bad for some amateurs," Tahno drawled as he leaned over the table. "You're easily the best player on your team. What do you say, Bolin? Want to join a _real_probending team?"

"The Fire Ferrets are just a real a team as any, Tahno," Bolin shot back, his eyes dropping back to his bowl of noodles. He hoped Tahno would get the message.

"Really? You wouldn't be in this tournament if it weren't for Future Industries providing you with a sponsorship. I seriously doubt that you guys earned it, either."

"We did too earn it!"

"Sure you did. And your brother isn't fucking Mr. Sato's daughter, either, am I right?" Tahno asked, leaning in close to Bolin. Bolin could feel his breath on his ear, warm and moist. He shuddered. "Bet she talked her Daddy into giving you guys a sponsorship... Or maybe he's fucking _him_, just to get the sponsorship? Your brother isn't much into women, I think."

Bolin nearly choked on his noodles. As the coughing fit subsided, he glared at Tahno. "Mako _loves _Asami! He adores her! You don't know what you're talking about, Tahno!" Bolin tried to appear confident in his words, but even he could hear the doubt creeping into his voice.

"I think he likes her because she has your eyes..." Tahno purred, leaning in once more. His face was inches from Bolin's; Bolin could smell a hint of alcohol on his breath. "You do have some beautiful eyes. And so does she. And I _know_brother dearest loves men..."

"Mako is straight, Tahno - and what do my eyes have to do with anything?" Bolin tried not to remember the Incident from several weeks ago and suppressed another shudder. Instead, he leaned back in his seat, looking away from Tahno.

"You sure he's straight? The fag had a lot of fun in my bed a few weeks ago. I hadn't been ridden that hard in months." Tahno, at this point, took a seat in front of Bolin. His smirk had never left his face as he swiped Bolin's drink, sipping from the straw.

Tahno's words sunk in slowly. Bolin felt his ears grow hot as the ground shook slightly beneath them. "Mako wouldn't have sex with you, Tahno," he said quietly, glaring at Tahno. But then Bolin remembered the small winces, the hesitation to sit down just a few weeks ago. He knew Mako had been acting weird, but he had assumed it was just because of the Incident. He stood up, breaking eye contact with Tahno. "I need to get going. Mako's waiting up for me."

"Oh, I'm sure he is, Fire Faggot. Tell him I said I had fun that night, and that I wouldn't mind doing it again next week, if he wants to keep me quiet. He'll know what day," Tahno said as Bolin walked away. Even with his back turned to Tahno, he could still see the bastard's ever present smirk.

* * *

Mako tossed his blanket aside, sitting up in his bed. He glanced at Bolin's side of the bed, knowing it was empty. Sighing, he looked away from Bolin's bed, closing his eyes as his hand reached down the front of his pants. He shouldn't. He really shouldn't, but his erection wouldn't go away. Despite his date with Asami, Bolin was all he could think about. As he pulled himself free and began running his hand up and down his shaft, he kept seeing Bolin's - no, _Asami's _eyes.

He tried to make it quick, but even he couldn't move his hand fast enough when the sound of the attic door opening creaked in his ears. Groaning, Mako stopped, tucking himself back into his pants and trying, desperately, to wish his erection away as Bolin's heavy footsteps plodded up the stairs.

"Mako! We need to talk!"

Mako sat up once again, swinging his legs over the side of his loft. He climbed down the ladder, careful of his still painful erection. "About what?" he asked, his voice gravely. He cleared his throat.

"It's about Tahno from the Wolfbats, Mako," Bolin started, turning towards his brother. Bolin appeared worried, pursing his lips together.

Mako tensed, trying not to remember the feel of Tahno's hands on him. His erection finally faded. "What about him?" He paused, studying Bolin's face. "Did he hurt you?" He walked over to Bolin, putting his hands on Bolin's shoulders. "What happened?"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Mako!" Bolin laughed nervously, brushing Mako's hands off of his shoulder. "He - he didn't hurt me. He was saying all of these things about you -"

"Like what?" Mako could feel his face heat up and his stomach drop. He thought Tahno wouldn't say a damn word - he thought if he let Tahno fuck him, nothing would get out to Bolin or the press.

"That we only got the sponsorship because you're having sex with Asami, that you don't actually like women, that you -"

Bolin stopped. Mako closed his eyes, seeing red. He could feel his hands heat up involuntarily, trying to will the fire down. "I thought I told you to stay away from him!"

"Hey, _he_came to me! I tried to ignore him, but he wouldn't leave me alone! He even offered me a spot on his team -"

Mako felt another burst of anger. "Did you say yes?"

"Of course not! The guy's a sleaze. I want nothing to do with him, no matter how good his damn team his. But that's not the point - the point is, he was talking all sorts of shit about you. What if he goes to the press, Mako?"

"He won't," Mako growled, stalking back up the ladder of his loft. He ignored how uncomfortably hot his hands burned as he pulled on clothes. "Did he say anything else?" Mako glanced at Bolin, who was now looking away from him,

"He - he said something about you only liking Asami because she - she has my eyes. Oh, and that you two had sex - you and Tahno, I mean," Bolin was rambling now, pressing his fingers together nervously as he avoided eye contact with Mako. "He's - he was just trying to mess with me, right, bro? You don't just like Asami because she has my eyes?"

"Right, Bo," Mako answered, sighing. He climbed out of his loft, trying to will the flames away. "And I didn't have sex with Tahno," he muttered. He looked away from Bolin's questioning eyes as he tugged his gloves over his fingers. It was a half truth. Sex would imply that Mako had been a willing participant.

"Mako - you're lying, aren't you?"

Mako turned to Bolin, noticing the look of determination in his eyes. "About what?" He tried not to drop his gaze as he said this, willing Bolin not to ask any further questions.

"You and Tahno - you did have sex with him, didn't you?" Bolin walked over to Mako, his eyes wide with concern. Bolin's hands held onto Mako's shoulders, causing a bolt of electricity to run through Mako's body. "He said it was a few weeks ago - you started acting really weird then."

"I hurt you a few weeks ago, Bolin. That's why I was acting weird," Mako muttered, forcing himself to maintain eye contact. If he didn't look away, Bolin might believe him. Bolin might just let it go. But when Bolin's face hardened, his nose scrunching up, Mako braced himself.

"Tell the truth, Mako," Bolin ordered, straightening his back. He removed his hands from Mako's shoulders. "You are sitting on the couch and you are telling me what happened."

Mako listened. As he sat down on the couch, Bolin sat beside him. Put a hand on his knee. Mako could feel his face burn up again, but for different reasons than before. "He used bloodbending to make me sleep with him. I didn't want to - but I had no choice."

Thinking about it again, remembering the way his body felt when Tahno forced him to do all those things made it difficult for Mako to breathe. He put his face in his hands, ignoring the look of concern on Bolin's face. He just wanted to forget about all of it - he figured Tahno would have left them alone afterwards. But here Bolin was, asking him about the things Tahno had said. "I need to talk to Tahno," Mako muttered, standing up.

"About what - Mako, he'll just use you again! Don't give that guy what he wants!" Bolin said, clamouring to his feet beside Mako.

"He can't do anything that I can't fight off. It's not a full moon."

"Then I'm going with you -"

"No!" Mako turned to Bolin, frowning. "You stay here. I'll take care of this."

"What are you so afraid that he'll do, Mako? You said it yourself, it's not the full moon so he can't use bloodbending - I can help you! And you can't just go up and hit him - that'll get us out of the tournament, for sure! Someone needs to make sure you keep a cool head -"

"I don't want you there. You'll just distract me." Another partial truth. Bolin's frown deepened. His eyes then suddenly grew wide. "What? What is it, Bo?"

"It all makes sense, now! You're - you're in love with me!"

Mako felt the blood drain from his face. "Bolin, don't be ridiculous. I love you, sure, but not like - not like that."

"You weren't jealous earlier because you like Korra - the constant hitting on me when you're drunk - Tahno's comments about you preferring men - it all adds up! He knew!"

Mako felt the fireball form before he even realized he was bending. Bolin clamped his mouth shut, backing away from Mako. "Not another word," Mako growled, storming past Bolin. "You stay here."

As Mako made his way down the stairs to their apartment, he prayed that Bolin would not follow him.


	6. Chapter 6

As Mako stormed into Narook's, he briefly considered turning right around and heading back to the arena. The Wolfbats had a match in about an hour. It was unlikely that Tahno would still be present at the noodle shop.

But when Mako did a quick sweep of the restaurant's floor, Tahno was unmistakably present in his corner booth, his fans and teammates surrounding him on all sides. Outnumbered, Mako knew approaching Tahno alone would be a bad idea. Briefly, he wondered if he should have brought Bolin along - or at least if he should have grabbed Korra. She would have no issue getting into the other waterbender's face, if it meant protecting Bolin.

Protecting Bolin. That's what this was about - making sure his little brother remained safe. That his little brother wouldn't have to deal with any scandals. That the media would never find out about Mako's untoward feelings for Bolin.

Mako kept telling himself this, but he wasn't so sure he believed it anymore. Instead of approaching the corner booth, Mako sat down at the bar. He needed to think. Needed time to regroup. He had blackmail on Tahno. He could get Tahno arrested for bloodbending - it was illegal, after all - but proving it would be difficult. Tahno waved a waitress over to his booth, pointing directly at Mako. Within seconds, a drink materialized in front of him.

The drink sat, untouched, as Mako continued to watch Tahno out of the corner of his eye. He could see the Wolfbats begin to rise from their seats. Over the din of the restaurant, Mako strained to hear anything coming from Tahno's mouth. He wrapped his hand around his drink, his fingers tracing the edge of the glass. He shouldn't drink. He promised Bolin he wouldn't drink. The amber liquid taunted him; he desperately wanted to feel it slide down his throat, burning him all the while.

But he kept the drink squarely on the bar, watching as Tahno separated from his group. When the rest of the Wolfbats headed out of the restaurant, Tahno sauntered up beside him, sitting in the seat next to him.

"You told Bolin."

Tahno smirked, bending the liquid inside Mako's glass, having it float in front of the both of them. "Something wrong, Mako? You hardly touched your drink..." The liquid fell back into the glass with a tiny splash.

"I didn't come here to drink," Mako stated, glancing at Tahno. He kept his hand wrapped around the glass.

"Naturally. Still, it's rude not to accept a free drink," Tahno muttered, bending the liquid out of the glass once again. The bubble of liquid hung in front of Mako's face, inches from his mouth. "Now, be a good boy and open your mouth for me..."

Mako clenched his jaw, turning away from the bar. The bubble followed him.

"Is it because I ordered the wrong thing?" Tahno continued, smirking. "I could have sworn this is what you ordered the night you were lamenting about your feelings for a certain Earthbender..."

Mako frowned, glaring at Tahno through the alcohol. "I told you to stay away from Bolin," he growled, evaporating the alcohol with a small flame.

"No, I said I would keep my mouth shut to the press," Tahno pointed out, scowling as the alcohol burned up in front of him. He signaled the bartender, which just caused Mako's frown to deepen. "You didn't say anything about staying away from Bolin..."

"He's innocent, Tahno! You didn't have to bring him into this!"

"Oh? Shouldn't he know that his own brother lusts after him? Otherwise, he might not be able to protect himself..." Tahno's smirk returned. "Let me guess, he called you names, didn't he? Made clear what a sick freak you really are, to him? A shame, that, I'm sure."

Another drink materialized in front of Mako, this one stronger than the last. Mako kept his eyes on Tahno, wishing he could settle the burning in his chest. The heat radiating from his fingertips. He put his fingers to the glass, heating the liquid subconsciously as he contemplated his next words. "What do you want, Tahno?"

Tahno pretended to be taken aback, sitting back in his bar stool a bit. He raised an eyebrow at Mako before smirking at him once again. "I already have everything I want from you. What more could I possibly need?" He leaned in close to Mako, his lips brushing against Mako's ear. "Though...there is one more thing you could do for me."

Mako remained where he was, trying to ignore Tahno's hot breath on his ear. He suppressed a shudder, trying to forget the last time Tahno had been so close to him. "What is it?"

"Throw your match tomorrow night," Tahno stated simply, taking the drink out of Mako's hand. He downed it, grinning at Mako as Mako glared at him.

"You must be joking."

"Do you _want _the press to find out about your brother and how badly you want to fuck him?" Tahno leaned in once again. "I might even throw in our own little thryst. I'm sure the papers would eat it up."

Tahno moved away from Mako, taking a moment to circle Mako's back before leaning against the bar once again. "You don't need to make it obvious that you threw the match. Just...screw up enough to lose. I'm sure you could manage that."

"If I don't?" Mako couldn't believe he was even considering throwing their match tomorrow night. But Tahno kept smirking at him, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. He opened it up, sliding it across the bar to Mako.

"Then I will show the papers this," Tahno drawled. Mako took the paper in his hands, his fingertips ready to burn the paper when he realized what it was - a photograph of him on top of Bolin, Bolin's face scrunched up in agony. Both of them were naked - and Mako's expression of lust made it all too clear what, exactly, was going on. Just as he focused his energy on the paper, Tahno snatched it away, folding it back up.

"How did you - when - " Mako could hardly get the words to come out of his mouth as he wished he had burned the paper the second Tahno had placed it in his hands.

"I followed you home that night, after you rambled on and on about that Earthbender you were so in love with," Tahno said simply, straightening himself out. "There are more pictures. And if you don't want the press to get a hold of any of them, you better throw the match, tomorrow night."

Tahno walked out of Narook's, throwing the doors open with his usual flair. The photograph's image had burned itself in his mind, Bolin's face scrunched up in pain. Mako closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Before he could stop himself, he was waving the bartender to give him his usual, the glass materializing and sliding into his hand before he could think.

He had to throw the match. He couldn't let the press get a hold of any of those pictures - he had to get them, he had to destroy them somehow. In the end, it didn't matter if Tahno had ruined his life, he had to do anything he could to protect Bolin. His innocence had been shattered enough, by Mako's own hands. Mako couldn't let Tahno make the situation any worse by providing the press with a visual reminder of his biggest mistake, of Bolin's worst moment of his life.

The alcohol numbed his fingers, cooling the heat as it lit up his throat. Grimacing, Mako put the drink down, traces of the shot still clinging to the edge of the glass. He'd need another, but he needed to pace himself. He couldn't get drunk. One drink - maybe even two - wouldn't do any harm. So he let the empty glass sit there, watching as the remnants of his drink pooled at the bottom of the glass. He tried, desperately, to vanquish the image of Bolin from his mind.

His stomach burned, ached for more alcohol. That wasn't how he remembered Bolin's face. Had he really been in that much pain? How could he forgive Mako so easily? And Tahno had taken more pictures than that? How? How did he manage to take those pictures without Mako noticing? Without Bolin noticing? Something didn't add up. Something wasn't right.

As the burn in his stomach faded, he waved the bartender to get him another drink. As his hands wrapped around the new glass, he paused. He had promised Bolin he wouldn't drink. He could stop now. He could walk away, pay his tab, and head back to the arena. Surely Bolin was worrying about him. Might even come looking for him, soon. He couldn't risk smelling like booze. Couldn't risk drinking too much.

Sighing, he put the second drink to his lips, downing it as quickly as the first. He could feel the alcohol begin to cloud his mind, soothing the fire at the back of it. Throwing the match meant throwing himself and Bolin back on the street. It was possible that Asami or Korra could give them a place to stay. He shuddered at the thought of going to Korra for help once again. Living with her meant that she and Bolin could continue to grow closer. He didn't want that. He'd approach Asami, ask her what would happen to their sponsorship should they lose tomorrow night's match.

He needed to protect Bolin, needed to make sure he was safe. As he ordered his third drink, he thought about their upcoming match against the Buzzard Wasps. He'd need a plan, if he was going to make sure they lost tomorrow night. He'd have to make it look like they were just having a bad day; he'd have to pretend he was trying, and he'd have to manage to make them lose without letting Korra or Bolin know what he was up to.

He just hoped that whatever he came up with would be enough to ensure the Buzzard Wasps' win, tomorrow night.


	7. Chapter 7

"Where do you think he could be, Bolin?" Korra asked as she helped him climb onto Naga's back. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist, trying to keep himself from frowning.

He knew where Mako was likely to be. But he hoped he was wrong. "I dunno, he said he was gonna talk to Tahno."

"Why did he want to talk to _him_?" she asked, turning her head to look at Bolin.

Bolin leaned his head into her shoulders, shaking it slightly as he tightened his arms around her waist. "I don't - I don't wanna talk about it. I just want to find him, make sure he's okay." _That he hasn't been drinking._

"Is something wrong, Bolin? You're not acting like yourself at all." She nudged Naga forward, signalling the polar bear dog to start moving. When Naga started moving, Bolin straightened himself out, trying to fake a smile even though Korra couldn't see it.

"I'm fine," he said with enthusiasm. "Just worried, is all. Mako's usually not out this late." It was a half-truth. He didn't want to lie to Korra, but he didn't want to explain everything to her, either. Not like this. When Korra didn't ask any further questions, he was grateful. Naga's lumbering motions helped him relax slightly, keeping his mind off of Mako, if only for a moment. Even if he knew where to look.

He just didn't want to be right. "Well, the Wolfbats had a match tonight. He couldn't have talked to Tahno for long. You said he wasn't at the arena, right?"

"Right," Bolin said. "I'm not even sure if he even got to talk to Tahno before the match. I - I think he might have gone out drinking."

Vocalizing it made the reality of the situation sink in. Made Bolin fully aware of why he had even asked Korra to help him find Mako, in the first place. He wanted her to be there, just in case. He didn't want to be alone with Mako.

"Okay, what are the bars he goes to? It's not late enough for last call - he might still be there," Korra said quietly. She glanced over her shoulder at Bolin again, smiling at him. "I'm sure he's fine, Bolin."

Bolin nodded. "I'm sure he is, too."

But he would be drunk. He would look at Bolin the same way he did the night of the Incident. He would proposition him, try to explain his feelings. And Bolin wasn't sure if he could handle that again. If he could stand to see his brother that way, if he would feel comfortable with him until he began to sober up once again. So as he told Korra that Mako might be at Narook's, causing her to nudge Naga to move even faster, he had to ignore the growing pit in his stomach.

When they arrived, Bolin took in a deep breath. He would be strong, he could do this. Korra placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly before throwing the doors open to Narook's. "There you are!" she said loudly. "We've been looking all over for you!"

Bolin could see Mako sitting at the bar just over Korra's shoulder. Mako was slumped over, barely lifting his head high enough to look at Bolin and Korra. Guilt etched itself across his features, if only for a moment, before Mako swallowed, trying to shoot Korra a bashful grin. "Sorry - I got kinda...carried away." He gestured wildly to the various shot glasses in front of him, making Bolin's blood run cold.

"C'mon, Mako, that's enough. Let's get you home," Korra chided, helping Mako stand up.

Without thinking, Bolin went to pay for his brother's tab. He watched as Mako and Korra walked out of Narook's, trailing behind them once the change had been handed to him. Mako glanced back at Bolin over his shoulder, causing Bolin to look away. There was an odd look in Mako's eyes - Bolin couldn't determine if it was guilt, or something else.

He prayed it was guilt. As they climbed onto Naga's back, they placed Mako in the middle. Bolin had to hold his brother steady, his hands placed firmly on Mako's sides. Hopefully, Mako wouldn't read anything into it. They neared the arena, and Mako seemed to sober up slightly. The more sober he was, the better. Still, when they reached the arena, Korra jumped off of Naga's back, pulling Mako down with her.

"I can walk up the steps myself!" Mako said loudly, his words slightly slurred. But he did seem steady on his feet - which was both a good and a bad sign. Bolin watched as Mako began walking up the steps without them, stumbling every few steps over his own two feet.

"Well, I guess I can go home now?" Korra began, raising an eyebrow at Bolin. "Tenzin's probably starting to worry - and I have airbending training in the morning before practice."

Bolin looked at her, pressing his lips together in a slight pout before sighing. "Yeah, he probably is." He wanted to beg her to stay - to have her protect him. "Would he - even notice that you were gone if you still showed up for training on time?"

"Bolin, are you asking me to stay?" Korra grinned at him. "I know your brother is out of it and all since he's drunk, but I'm _pretty_ sure he'd notice if we started kissing or something."

Bolin felt his face heat up, causing him to shake his head. "N-No, I just don't - I don't want to be alone with him while he's drunk," he blurted out, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

Korra's teasing expression softened, her smile fading into a small frown. "Why?" She put a hand on Bolin's shoulder as he looked away, unable to answer. "I understand if you don't want to tell me... I can stay for a little while, I guess. Until he falls asleep. But I can't stay the whole night."

Releasing the breath he had been holding, Bolin lunged and hugged Korra tightly. "Thank you!" he said, feeling himself relax a bit as she hugged him back loosely. When they pulled apart, he began taking the stairs two at a time, Korra quickly behind him. Mako hadn't made it very far up the arena steps.

When they caught up with Mako, he glanced at the two of them, raising an eyebrow. "She staying here tonight?" he asked. "Is that even allowed?"

"Hey, I stayed out all night with you when we were looking for Bolin!" she pointed out, smirking at him.

"Well, I'm found now, you can go home," Mako muttered as he stumbled over his feet a bit. "I wanna be alone with Bolin."

Bolin gulped, glancing at Korra as the three of them continued to make their way to the attic apartment. Korra quirked an eyebrow at Bolin yet again before shaking her head. "He asked me to stay."

Mako grunted something under his breath in response as he began making his way up the attic steps, wandering into their apartment. Korra looked at Bolin. "Sounds like he doesn't want me here. Is he always like this after he's been drinking?"

Sighing, Bolin wondered if he should tell her that Mako wasn't normally this way when drunk. But then he would have to explain what he _was_ normally like, and he wasn't sure that he could do that. So he nodded. "If you don't want to stay, I totally understand."

"I think it would just piss him off more if I did. And I don't want to cause any more trouble for you, Bolin," she said softly. She kissed Bolin on the cheek. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at practice, then?"

Bolin nodded, trying to force a smile for her. "Sure. I'll be fine - he should be asleep in a little while, anyway. I'll be fine. Just fine. See ya! Don't train too hard with Tenzin, we need you well rested for the match, tomorrow night!"

She smiled back at him, waving to him as she walked away. As she turned her back on him, Bolin felt the tears start to creep into his eyes as he turned around himself, walking up the stairs to their apartment with slow, heavy footsteps. When he stepped into the apartment, he could see the darkened skyline of the city, trying to keep his attention off of Mako, who was sitting innocently on the couch.

"Where's Korra?" Mako asked, sitting up straighter as Bolin came into view.

"She went home." He wanted to add that she left because he was being a jerk.

"Good riddance! I didn't want her here, anyway," Mako muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why don't you sit, Bo?"

Bolin shook his head. "I wanna go to bed, Mako. It's been a long day." He avoided Mako's eyes as he walked to his side of the apartment, trying to ignore the flashes of the Incident running through his mind. Mako wouldn't crawl into bed with him again after all of that. He couldn't. After that last time, Mako had seemed to really regret what he had done to Bolin.

But Mako had been drinking. And the way he was looking at Bolin seemed to suggest that the regret hadn't stuck with him. So when Mako began climbing up the ladder to Bolin's loft, just behind Bolin, Bolin felt his heart pound loudly in his ears. "Mako - please, go lay in your bed," he pleaded.

"We need to talk," Mako said, his voice also pleading. "I'm so sorry, Bolin - I just don't want to see you get hurt. I don't like her as a girlfriend for you."

"Stop, Mako," Bolin said, turning around to face Mako, sitting up in his bed. "We can talk tomorrow, after practice. I don't want anything to do with you, right now. You're drunk."

"She's just not right for you, bro! She's too - I dunno, there's something I just don't like about her." Mako sat on Bolin's bed, next to Bolin. Bolin pulled his legs up to his chin, being careful to put as much space between him and Mako as possible. Mako put a hand on his shoulder, massaging it lightly. Bolin tried to swat the hand away.

The hand persisted, sliding up Bolin's shoulder to just under his chin. Bolin gulped, turning to look at Mako. "Please don't touch me," he whispered, brushing Mako's hand away yet again.

"You know I love you, right, Bo?" Mako asked, ignoring Bolin's pleas as he moved closer to him, bridging the gap between their bodies. "I'm just trying to protect you..." He leaned in even closer while Bolin remained where he was, unable to move. As Mako's lips brushed against his own, Bolin got up from the bed, heading back towards the ladder.

"I just remembered I forgot to tell Korra something - I'll be back later. Get some rest, Mako!" Bolin rambled as he backed down the ladder, avoiding Mako's eyes. He ignored Mako's protests as he hastily made his way back down the stairs to their apartment, shutting the door behind him quickly.

Korra couldn't have made it that far away - he had only been upstairs with Mako for a few minutes; she'd probably just be at the bottom of the arena steps. He hoped Mako wouldn't follow him. That he would simply pass out and let the conversation drop. The closer he got to the front entrance of the arena, the more his heart sank. He couldn't see Korra or Naga anywhere.

For the second time that evening, he could feel the tears well up in his eyes. He gazed up at the cloudless sky, noticing the waxing moon overhead. He didn't want to go back inside.

Maybe he could go to Air Temple Island and stay with Korra, instead.


	8. Chapter 8

Korra pouted, looking out over the water as she waited for the ferry to Air Temple Island. Naga sat on her haunches, nudging Korra's arm with her head. "What is it, girl?" Korra asked her softly, taking a look around her. Ever since her confrontation with Amon, she had been careful to watch her surroundings. She could see a figure in the distance running towards her. Naga barked, but seemed to be at ease.

The ferry could be heard in the distance, its horn almost deafening in the late night air. Slowly, the figure came into focus, causing Korra to furrow her brow. "Bolin?" she called out. "Is that you?"

"Korra!" Bolin dashed over towards her, a smile lighting up his face. "Boy, am I glad to see you..."

"What happened? Why aren't you at your apartment with Mako?" Korra asked, raising an eyebrow. "He didn't just pass out, did he?"

Bolin shook his head. "I don't - I don't wanna talk about it. Not out here," he said, glancing around them. "Can I stay the night at Air Temple Island with you?"

He had his hands folded together, his eyes wide and pleading .She blinked, unsure how to respond to his question. "I-I'm not sure if Tenzin would be okay with that, Bolin. But I can ask."

"Thank you!" The ferry was at the dock now, the air acolytes motioning Korra on board. He followed Korra onto the ferry, Naga giving him a great big lick as he walked past her. "Even if I can't stay, just being away from Mako for a bit helps."

As they found a good spot to stand, the ferry began to pull away from the dock. Korra watched as Bolin leaned against the railing, his eyes downcast and his shoulders slumped. She put a hand on Bolin's shoulder, causing him to jump slightly. "What's wrong, Bolin? Why are you avoiding your brother?" she asked quietly, leaning in a bit.

She could have sworn she saw tears in his eyes as he looked away. "I just don't like being near him when he's drunk," he said after a few moments. "It makes me uncomfortable."

"I'm sure he doesn't mean to -"

"I told him not to drink anymore after the last time! I don't understand why he couldn't keep his promise!" Bolin scowled, pushing himself away from the railing. Even Naga seemed to move further away from Bolin, giving him space. "He doesn't _have_ to drink! And the night before the greatest match of our lives - I just, I just don't get it, Korra! He says he wants to protect me and keep me safe, but how can he do that if he can't even protect me from himself?"

Korra frowned, looking out at the water as the ferry made its way to Air Temple Island. "He really hurt you, didn't he?" she asked after a while, noticing the way Bolin's shoulders shook. Even though she couldn't see the tears, she could tell he was crying. Unsure of what to do, she remained where she was, watching his back. Should she put a hand on his shoulder? Hug him? Hold him? She didn't know.

"Yeah," he said in response, his voice shaky with tears. "Yeah, he really did." He turned back around, locking eyes with Korra. He wiped the tears off his cheeks, sniffling slightly. Instinctively, Korra walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him close to her. He rested his head on her shoulder, tears still running down his face as he did so. "I thought he'd change, Korra. I didn't think - I thought he'd keep his promise."

"I'll talk to Tenzin. I think he might have a few spare rooms in the boy's dormitories. I know he's not going to let you stay in my room, but you can at least stay on the Island for the night," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him like her mother had soothed her when she was a little girl. "It'll be okay, Bolin."

He sniffled, nodding into her shoulder before pulling away from her, their arms wrapped around one another loosely. She could see that the tears had stopped, which put her at ease a bit. But her concern for him was giving way to anger - how could Mako hurt him like this? Bolin was his brother! He should be taking care of him! And it was obvious that Bolin was frustrated just like she was, _confused_ just like she was. As the ferry pulled up to the dock, the Order of the White Lotus sentries guided them off of the ferry, their eyes watching Bolin warily.

As they walked towards the main hall of Air Temple Island, Korra held his hand, guiding Bolin along with her silently. They didn't have to go far when they ran into Tenzin himself. "There you are! I was just about to call Lin and ask her to put out a search party - " Tenzin stopped, noticing Korra's hand was still latched onto Bolin's. "Korra! What are you doing - alone - with a boy this late at night!"

"It's not like that, Tenzin!" Korra began, letting go of Bolin's hand. "I was helping him find Mako -"

"Then why is he _here_? Shouldn't he be back at the arena with his brother - assuming you two found him, of course?"

"S-Sorry, Mr. Tenzin, sir, I just - I didn't want to be alone with my brother," Bolin spoke up, catching Tenzin's attention. "I asked her if I could stay the night here - if that's okay with you, of course. If not, I'll head back right now. I don't mean to cause trouble -"

"Enough," Tenzin said, putting up a hand to signal Bolin to stop talking. "I'll arrange a room for you, for this evening," he sighed, stroking his beard. "It sounds as if you have good reason to stay away from home. You can stay in Korra's room until we have a room ready for you - but no funny business! Keep the door open."

"Sure thing, Tenzin!" Korra said, grabbing Bolin's hand and dragging him towards her room.

"You still have airbending training in the morning, Korra, so do try to get some rest!" Tenzin called behind her as they made their way to her room. When they had put some distance between them, Korra let out a small laugh.

"Well, that was easy enough," she said as they walked up the steps leading to her room in the dormitory. She glanced at Bolin, who still seemed out of it, and frowned. She felt the familiar urge to punch Mako, but squashed it down as they walked into her room. She left the door slightly open, in an effort to offer Bolin some privacy. She sat down on her bed, motioning Bolin to sit down next to her.

He sat down at the desk instead, turning the chair around so he could face Korra as he sat. He sat in the chair backwards, using the back of the chair to rest his arms. As he buried his face in his arms, Korra found her frown deepening. "What did he do to you, Bolin?" she asked, leaning back on her arms. She turned her gaze to the ceiling, hoping that Bolin would answer her, as long as she wasn't looking directly at him.

She could hear Bolin sigh deeply. He must have fidgeted in the chair, as it creaked with his movement. Then quietly, almost at a whisper, he muttered something. Korra strained her ears to hear it, but didn't catch it. When she glanced at him again, she could only see the top of his head above his arms, but his shoulders were shaking again.

"Bo? I didn't hear you."

"Don't - don't call me that," he said, lifting his face above his arms. She raised an eyebrow, but nodded in agreement. Taking in a deep breath, he ran his fingers through his hair and looked away from Korra. "He - he raped me." This time, his voice was much clearer. They locked eyes.

Korra paused, straightening herself out. The words ghosted across her ears, slowly digging themselves into her brain. "He WHAT?" She stood up from the bed, grinding a fist into her open palm. "Just now? I'll kick his ass!"

"N-No - this was a few weeks ago. He was drunk. And he tried to kiss me tonight and I just - I didn't want to stay with him. I didn't want to go through it all over again - " He stopped as Korra hugged him tightly. She could feel him tense under her touch just slightly, but he relaxed after a few moments.

"He - he says he loves me. And when he's not drunk, he's fine. Doesn't say or do anything inappropriate. Just...he's Mako, then," Bolin said into her shoulder.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" She pulled away from him. "Bolin, you know I'm always here for you. And you can always talk to Tenzin - he's got more experience with this sort of thing. Hell, he used to date the Chief of Police!"

Bolin managed a small smile at that, wiping away his tears. "I don't want to get him in trouble - he's done so much for me. Kept me safe and off the streets as much as possible. He used to be so good at protecting me..."

"None of that matters anymore, Bolin," Korra said, frowning. "Don't go trying to protect him! I'm gonna kick his ass next time I see him -"

"You can't! I don't want him to know that I told you - or anyone else. And what about the match tomorrow night? If we don't win it, we'll end up on the streets again!"

"I'm sure that if we lost the match, that Tenzin would provide you guys with a place to stay if you needed it. But you really shouldn't live with him anymore. It's too dangerous," Korra said, sitting back down on her bed. This time, Bolin sat beside her. Without thinking, Korra slid her hand inside of his. Bolin leaned against her, placing his head on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Korra," he whispered. "I just - I wish I could hate him, y'know? I wish I could be angry at him. But I can't. He's my brother - I love him."

At that moment, there was a tentative knock on the door. Korra stood up, opening the door the rest of the way for Tenzin. "Your room is ready, Bolin."

Korra saw Bolin nod out of the corner of her eye. As he stood up, he flashed her a small smile. "Thank you, Mr. Tenzin," he said quietly. As he walked past Korra, he paused to kiss her on the cheek. "Thank you, too."

"Don't mention it," she whispered. "G'nght, Bolin. I'll come get you when I'm done my training."

"G'night, Korra!" Tenzin cast Korra an odd look before leading Bolin down the hallway towards the boy's dormitories. Once they were out of sight, Korra shut her door behind her. She leaned against it, crossing her arms over her chest. If she wanted to sneak back off of the island, she would have to wait at least another hour. But she knew that it was already past midnight; training was earlier than practice. She'd need some sleep.

Just as she was beginning to plan her way off the island, there was another knock on the door. This time, Tenzin didn't wait for her to answer as he pulled the door to the side.

"Korra, we need to talk."

Sighing, she nodded, sitting down on her bed as Tenzin stepped into her room, turning the chair so that it was facing the correct way before sitting down on it. "Care to tell me what happened? Your friend seemed really shaken up."

"He asked me not to tell anyone else," she said, shaking her head.

"Do we need to get the police involved? Lin can be very discreet, if she needs to be," Tenzin said, his face gravely serious.

"I don't think that's necessary, Tenzin." Korra uncrossed her arms, leaning back in her bed a bit. "He just needs some time away from his brother."

"In that case, let him know tomorrow morning that he can stay as long as he needs. Also let him know that my door is always open, if he wishes to talk to me," Tenzin stood up and nodded to Korra. "Get some rest, Korra."

"Thank you, Tenzin. You, too," she said quietly. As he walked out of her room, she laid down on her bed, her palms heating up slightly as she thought about how she wanted to punch Mako's face in.

She would have to confront him in the morning, after pro-bending practice.


	9. Chapter 9

When Mako woke up the next morning, the alarm shrill in his ears, he had to fight to get out of bed. His head pounded, his stomach flipped. Groaning, he turned the alarm off and rolled over onto his back. Practice. They had practice that morning. He needed to get up, get dressed, make a small breakfast, wake Bolin up -

"Bolin!" Mako sat straight up, ignoring the unsettled feeling in his stomach. He looked over at Bolin's loft, knowing immediately that Bolin's bed was empty. Parts of the night before filtered back to him - Tahno's blackmail, him drinking, Korra and Bolin finding him at Narook's - and Bolin's pleas that he leave him alone. He put a hand to his head, rubbing his forehead with the heel of his palm before sighing.

As much as he wanted to go looking for Bolin, he knew it would be better if he didn't. If his little brother didn't show up for practice, he could start worrying then. Slowly, Mako moved out of his loft and climbed down, the pounding in his head worsening with each step.

It was going to be a very, very long day.

* * *

Bolin sighed, rolling over on the bed, laying on his back. He stared at the ceiling above, like he had been for the past several hours, studying its contours, counting the tiles. As tired as he was, as much as he needed the sleep, he couldn't bring himself to close his eyes. He tried. Any time his eyes fell, he would hear Mako's voice, sounding frantic and still drunk.

When there came a knock on his door, he got up slowly and opened it, forcing a smile for Korra. "Practice already?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm and level.

Korra frowned, but nodded. She motioned Bolin to follow her. "Tenzin said you could stay here as long as you needed to," she said after a while, glancing up at Bolin. "He also said you could talk to him, any time."

The two of them walked in silence, Bolin trying to ignore the twisting in his stomach. Would Mako be angry with him for not coming home last night? Would he apologize? Act any different? Sighing, Bolin resisted the urge to yawn, letting his feet take him to the ferry. Korra looked over at him, her mouth opening as if she were going to say something before she looked away and closed it again.

The ferry ride was no different. Korra leaned over the railing, just as Bolin stayed back, watching her. Her shoulders were rolled forward, almost hunched, as she stared out at the water below. He could tell she wanted to say something - he could see her tense every so often, her hands balling into fists and uncurling again. There was a quiet air of anger about her - totally unlike the Korra he knew. But seeing her like this comforted him, somewhat - made him hopeful that practice would go smoothly.

When they approached the arena, Korra looked up at him again, the frown on her face still there. "I'm sorry," she said after a while as they stepped off the ferry and onto the docks.

Bolin stopped, raising an eyebrow at her. "For what?"

"I don't know if I can see him and not want to punch his face in." She punched her fist into the palm of her hand for emphasis, causing Bolin to chuckle quietly.

"That's what practice is for - beat the shit out of him with your waterbending," Bolin said, smiling wryly. "How'd training go with Tenzin?"

Korra shook her head. "It didn't. I have all the forms memorized but I still can't make a single puff of air." She put her hand to her forehead, her long fingers brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Tenzin says I'll get it eventually - but it's so frustrating! I want to airbend so bad - Avatar Aang mastered all four elements by the time he was thirteen!"

Bolin put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Don't worry, you can do it. I know you can." He glanced at the arena, which was only a few blocks away. "C'mon, let's get practice over with."

She nodded as they both headed towards the arena. They walked side by side in silence, Bolin keeping his mind from thinking the same thoughts over and over, instead choosing to focus on trying to make Korra feel better about herself. It was one of the things he loved about her: she was the Avatar, but she was still a teenager, like himself. That she had insecurities and emotions.

Helping her feel better made stepping into the arena bearable, made walking into the practice room and seeing his brother possible. Mako was already dressed in his practice gear, a medicine ball in his hand. Bolin felt an unbearable heat come off of Korra, which caused him to put a hand on his shoulder. She relaxed some under his touch. Mako seemed to sigh in relief when he saw Bolin, his eyes hardening slightly when he saw Korra.

"Ready for practice?" he asked, throwing the medicine ball to Korra. She caught it expertly, returning the ball to Mako forcefully.

"Surprised you've even shown your face after last night," she muttered, storming off towards the girl's locker room.

Bolin winced, ignoring Mako as he, too, headed towards the locker rooms. He could hear Mako follow behind him, his footsteps heavy.

"Bolin -"

"I don't want to talk to you, Mako," he muttered, opening his locker and pulling out his practice gear. "Please, leave the room."

"But we're brothers -"

Bolin shuddered, thinking of the number of times Mako had said those exact words to him in the past. The tears came before he could force them back. "Mako, please. Leave the room." How long? How long had Mako harbored those inappropriate feelings for him? How long had he been lusted after, completely unaware that his brother's eyes would study every inch of him?

All of the times that Mako had been drunk flashed in front of him, making it difficult for him to focus on the task of getting changed. He knew Mako had left, his footsteps even heavier as he walked out of the locker room. He could hear Mako and Korra exchange curt words to one another, Korra's voice straining to remain neutral as Bolin slipped the last piece of gear on his body.

He let the tears fall slowly, feeling them burn his cheeks as he took a moment to compose himself. He could be strong. He was strong. And Korra was here - Korra would make sure that he was okay. Still, his heart ached - and he found himself punching the lockers, the metal scratching his knuckles and causing him to flinch in pain.

Things would never be the same. They could pretend all they wanted, but he would never be as close to Mako as he used to be. He'd never be comfortable around him - and Mako would always give him those looks that, until now, he didn't realize made him feel dirty. Bolin sat down on the bench, his hand raking through his hair as he tried to swallow his tears, forcing them to go away.

They had practice. They had a match that night. He needed to pull himself together. After a few, shaky breaths, the tears stopped. He wiped at his face with his sleeve before standing and walking out of the locker room, a smile plastered on his face. Both Korra and Mako looked up at him expectantly, both of their expressions softening with concern for him. Korra ran over to him first, wrapping her arms around him in a protective hug.

"Look what you did to him, Mako!" she shouted at him, her grip on Bolin tightening. "How the hell could you do something like that to your own brother?"

Mako's eyes grew wide before they narrowed once again, his lips pressing together in a thin line. Before he could say anything, Bolin found his voice, pushing Korra away from him just slightly. "Korra, please. It's okay. I'm okay." He forced another smile, ignoring the stinging at his eyes once again. "Let's just get practice started. We have a big game tonight."

He could have sworn he saw Mako flinch, but the action was so quick he was sure Korra didn't see it. She moved away from Bolin, her hands on her hips. "Give me some water, then, so I can start kicking Mr. Hat Trick's ass..."

"I wouldn't dream of letting you kick my ass," Mako muttered darkly. He turned to Bolin, his expression softening once again. "You sure you're okay?"

Bolin managed a nod. "Now, can you two get along for today? I don't want anyone needing a healer before the match if we can help it."

Korra snorted, making her way to the bin of water that Mako had set out earlier that morning. "Sure, I can try not to knock his fool head off."

Bolin breathed in deeply, looking Mako in the eye. Mako looked away, his expression changing ever so slightly. Was that regret? Was he upset with himself? Disappointed? Hurt?

It didn't matter, Bolin told himself bitterly, it wasn't like Mako had kept his promise. He still got drunk. He still made moves on Bolin, despite Bolin's protests. As far as Bolin was concerned, his brother deserved to feel like shit. After all, he did, too.

He just hoped they'd be able to pull it together for the match tonight.

* * *

Mako sighed, keeping his eyes off of Bolin and Korra as they got ready for the match. With how badly practice had gone that morning, he knew it would take a miracle for them to pull it together. Part of him felt relieved - the more they fought, the less they worked as a team. And the less they worked as a team, the less he had to worry about throwing the match tonight.

As they stepped onto the platform, Bolin and Korra both keeping their distance from him - something the commentator clearly noticed, judging by the announcement made - Mako couldn't stop the dread from building within him. He thought he saw Tahno somewhere in the stands before his eyes landed on Asami. She blew him a kiss, and he returned it in kind, though he wasn't feeling overly happy.

The biggest match of their lives, and he had to make sure they lost. He had to risk putting Bolin and himself out on the street again. While he knew that Asami might be able to swing something, to keep them off the streets, deep down, Mako knew that provided him with no comfort. After all, he couldn't protect Bolin from losing his home. Couldn't protect Bolin from himself.

He tightened his fists, gearing up to start blasting fire at his opponents as the countdown began. He could feel Korra tense next to him, Bolin not too far behind her. They would play to win - and they would likely act as a single unit. But Korra hadn't dealt with her anger - and she was behaving wildly. Bolin was skittish, his aim nothing like it used to be. And of course, Mako was purposely throwing fireballs that would just barely miss their mark, or have less steam behind them than usual.

It was tough, but the Buzzard Wasps were winning. Mako tried to ignore the commentary, tried to ignore the ever increasing smug looks from Tahno in the audience. One more round. They had one more round and the whole nightmare could blow over, forgotten. Tahno would have his championship in the bag, those compromising pictures would never see the light of day, and he could try to make everything up to Bolin.

Just one. More. Round. Mako grit his teeth, trying to hit Bolin with a blast of his fire while making it look accidental. In slow motion, an earth disk came flying out of nowhere, ricocheting off of Bolin's shoulder. In that second, everything was forgotten - it didn't matter if they lost or won the match, Mako found himself turning to his brother, who had collapsed to the ground. When Mako felt the water blast knocking him backward, he didn't even have time to try and catch his footing as he was pushed over the back of the ring.

He was in the water before he could even blink, the air being knocked out of his lungs momentarily before he managed to swing back up to the surface. From his vantage point, he couldn't see what was going on, but he could hear Bolin fighting to stay in the match. As he pulled himself out of the water, he heard a splash on his side of the ring. Judging that he could only hear Korra shouting from time to time, he knew that Bolin had landed in the water not too long after him.

He waited by the ladder, knowing that Bolin would likely need his help to climb out of the water. Bolin struggled to the surface, favoring one arm as he approached the ladder. When Mako offered his hand to help Bolin up, he took it, though Mako could see him hesitate to do so. Despite Bolin's hesitation, Mako pulled his brother up quickly, giving him distance once he was standing on the platform with him.

"You okay? How's your shoulder?"

Bolin grunted, holding his shoulder. "It's messed up pretty bad," he admitted. "But I think I'll be alright."

Mako nodded, walking towards the lift. Bolin followed him, keeping his distance as the two stood side by side. He crossed his arms over his chest, deciding it would be best if he stayed silent. He didn't think Bolin wanted to talk to him much.

"Are we...gonna be alright?"

The question threw Mako off, causing him to glance at Bolin briefly before tilting his head. "Of course we are," he began, trying not to think that they were about to be thrown back onto the streets, "We're brothers. We'll get through this mess."

This mess. There was so much weight in those words. So many different meanings, and he meant every single one of them. They would get through this. They had to. He looked at Bolin again, his heart breaking slightly at the sight of his brother's defeated expression, the anxiety and pain clear as day on his face. "I'm sorry," he offered, knowing that it wouldn't hold much weight with Bolin. But he needed to say it, anyway.

"Me, too." The apology caught Mako by surprise, but he suspected Bolin was talking about Korra. His eyes were trained on her, watching her as she continued to fight for her territory in the ring. Mako found himself turning to watch her, his heart pounding slightly as she seemed to line the three Buzzard Wasps in a line.

_No_. Ten seconds left. She lined them up. She pulled the water from the grates, it swirling around her before she hosed the three of them, knocking one right into the other.

And off of the ring.

Bolin was cheering, jumping up and down as he held tightly onto his shoulder. The crowd had gone wild, fans standing and pumping their fists in the air. Mako felt his blood run cold as he looked at his brother. As much as he wanted to hug him, and pull his little brother close, he couldn't.

Tahno walked into the pre-game room, smirking at Mako as he walked past him and Bolin, Bolin running over to Korra and hugging her just as she walked into the room as well.

Swallowing thickly, Mako stepped away from Korra and Bolin, hardly noticing Asami as she came running to him to congratulate them on the match.

He hoped Tahno had been bluffing.


	10. Chapter 10

Mako stepped out of the locker room, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Tahno had shot him a knowing look before taunting Korra and heading out for their match. Without a doubt, the Wolfbats had won.

Which meant they were on their way to the finals, along with the Fire Ferrets.

He had a chance. If he talked to Tahno - if he struck a deal with him now, he might be able to stop the press from receiving those pictures. They could still throw the finals. As much as it would break Bolin's heart to make it as far as they did, only to lose, he knew it was his only shot. He couldn't take that risk - he couldn't let Tahno hand those pictures over. Not without a fight.

So when he saw the small crowd down towards the entrance of the arena, he couldn't stop his feet from moving in that direction. He kept his face neutral, trying to ignore the shouts and calls from the fans as he approached the crowd. He could see Tahno standing in the center of them, his ridiculously fake smile plastered on his face. When he saw Mako, his expression changed slightly - and then he nodded.

Mako knew to hang back. To wait for Tahno to approach him, first. To tell him where to go, so they could talk in private. Mako shuddered at the idea of talking with Tahno privately, but he was desperate. Utterly desperate. So when a hand landed on his shoulder, he jumped, just slightly, and turned around. Korra stared back at him, a frown on her face as her hands rested on her hips.

"We need to talk, _Captain_," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Now's not the time," Mako responded curtly, turning his gaze back on Tahno. He, too, crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the wall.

When Korra didn't move from where she was, he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Korra, please. I know I screwed up and I know I hurt Bolin, but I have to do something very important right now." He looked at her before turning his attention to Tahno yet again.

"What's so interesting about Pretty Boy over there? You gonna rape him, too?"

Mako turned around, putting his hand over Korra's mouth. "Shut up!" She glared at him, pushing his hand away. Before she could say anything else, he grabbed her arm, pulling her into a nearby room. "Look - I understand you're pissed off at me. I'm pissed off at me, too, okay? I love Bolin - he means the world to me. You _know_that!"

"Then why did you do it -"

"I was drunk!" Mako spat, grabbing at his hair. "I promised him I wouldn't drink anymore - "

"Then explain why you were drunk last night! Why he came running after me after I left you two alone - how fucked up do you have to be to want to fuck your own brother?!"

Mako grunted in frustration, throwing his hands to his sides. Small bursts of flames erupted from his fists but he quickly quelled them. "Will you just listen to me for once?" he growled, running his fingers through his hair. "I can't talk to you about this right now, I need to go talk to Tahno -"

"Why? Why is that asshole more important to you than explaining why you did something so horrible to your own brother?" Korra said, approaching him and poking him in the chest.

"Because he knows what I did to Bolin! He has _pictures_, Korra! Pictures! That he said he was going to release to the press if we won tonight's match!"

"Oh, so protecting yourself is far more important than anything else, huh?"

"It's not about me, Korra! If those pictures gets out, it'll be Bolin who suffers the most - and I don't want that. Now, please, if you don't have anything helpful to add, then leave me alone." Mako opened the door, turning away from her once again. As he stepped just past the door, Korra grabbed his arm, keeping him in place.

"Do you even have a plan, Smart Guy?"

He shrugged her hand off, continuing out into the hallway. He had as much of a plan as he could have. "He wants the Championship."

"So, what? You're just gonna offer to hand him it?" Korra asked. "You think that's really gonna work? He's just gonna give the press those pictures, anyway!"

Mako stopped, his eyes growing wide. "You don't think - he couldn't -"

"It's Tahno, Mako!" Korra said. "Of course he would! Think about who you're talking about!"

Mako frowned, trying to keep his breathing calm. Korra stood behind him; he could feel the heat of her own anger coming off her body. He hadn't considered that. If Tahno really wanted to humiliate them both - it wouldn't matter if he gave them the match. It wouldn't matter at all. Sighing, he looked over at the dispersed crowd, seeing Tahno slink over to them. "I have to at least try, Korra," he said quietly.

Korra also sighed. "Whatever. Bolin's gonna stay at Air Temple Island. He wanted me to tell you. If you think of a better plan, let me know. I'd like to help, if I can."

"Thank you, Korra." he muttered before walking towards Tahno, keeping his expression neutral.

"I'm not doing it for you."

He looked over his shoulder at her, watching as she began walking in the opposite direction of him. "I know," he said quietly to himself, fixing his gaze on Tahno. Tahno smirked at him before waving him over. When Mako reached him, Tahno put an arm around his shoulders.

"I thought you'd never come out of that room," Tahno said in a low voice. "What, is your little brother not enough for you anymore? Need to get into the Avatar's pants, too, Fire Faggot?"

Mako clenched his jaw, keeping his eyes forward. "Don't release the photographs to the press. We'll throw the Championship game, tomorrow night."

Tahno raised an eyebrow, letting his arm fall from Mako's shoulders. "You have to do more than that, if you want to protect your precious little brother..." He stopped just before the exit for the arena, turning to Mako. His trademark smirk never left his face. "Tell you what. Since the Avatar obviously got a lucky shot, I'll be nice. I'll keep the pictures to myself...for now."

As Tahno pushed the doors open, he motioned Mako to follow him outside. Tahno turned his gaze upwards. Mako found himself looking up, as well, grateful to see that the moon wasn't full. Despite what Tahno had just said, Mako couldn't help feeling at ill ease. "What do you want in return?"

"You have two options..." Tahno started, facing Mako. "Convince your little brother to join the Wolfbats next season, or..."

"Or?" Mako could feel his fists heat up again in frustration, as Tahno had started walking down the arena steps without finishing his sentence.

"Have him meet me next week, on the night of the full moon. On top of throwing the match, tomorrow night."

Mako felt as if ice had been dumped in his veins. "You can't be serious," he muttered, his fingers singeing the insides of his palms.

"I am," Tahno said, his smirk disappearing. "If you want to keep those pictures out of the press's hands, you'll let me know by tomorrow, before the match."

Mako watched as he turned away, continuing to walk down the arena steps without so much as another glance at him. Clenching his jaw, Mako turned on his heel and headed back into the arena.

He really did need another plan.

* * *

Korra stood in front of the spinning gates, taking in a deep breath before nodding to Jinora. As Jinora pushed a blast of wind towards the gates, Korra began to make her way through them, twisting and turning as she had learned to do only weeks ago. She could hear Bolin cheering for her. While she knew the goal was to get through the gates without so much as being hit once, and to do so as quickly as possible, she wanted to take her time, changing direction swiftly whenever needed, but otherwise staying within the gates.

When Bolin's cheers quieted, though, she frowned, her concentration broken. She managed to slip out of the gates, panting, before noticing the stricken expression on Bolin's face.

"Korra."

She turned around, her hands already on her hips as she regarded Mako with disdain. "Mako."

"Can I talk to you privately, please?" He glanced at Bolin, who looked away from him, and Jinora, who was looking back and forth between Mako and Korra.

"Fine. Bolin, Jinora, go ahead without me," Korra said, trying to keep her anger in check. When the two of them walked away from the training grounds, she crossed her arms over her chest and turned to Mako. "What do you want, Mako?"

"I need your help," he said, pressing his lips together in a thin line. "Tahno wants me to do more than just throw the match, tomorrow night."

"Like I was gonna let you throw the match, anyway," Korra muttered, picking at her arm band as she talked. "What does he want?"

"He wants Bolin." There was a spark of anger. Mako's tone was biting. "He needs an answer by tomorrow, before the match."

Korra narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, he wants Bolin?"

"Tahno's a bloodbender, Korra," Mako said. There was something off about his tone. "He wants to see Bolin during the next full moon. Alone. Or he wants Bolin to join the Wolfbats."

"How do you know he's a bloodbender?" Korra asked, uncrossing her arms over her chest. A weird look crossed Mako's face before he looked away from Korra.

"It doesn't matter how I know," he muttered, shaking his head. He looked back up at Korra. "I want you to help me break into Tahno's apartment."

"That your plan, Smart Guy? Break into his apartment, grab the pictures?" Korra shook her head.

"I'm desperate, Korra, please. If you're not going to help, just tell me, so I can figure out a way to get ahold of those photographs on my own," Mako said, turning on his heel.

"Have you even seen any of these pictures, Mako?" Korra asked, approaching Mako slowly. "I wouldn't put it past that sleazebag to lie about that sort of thing."

"One. I saw one," Mako said, straightening his back. His fists balled at his sides. "Even if that's all he has, that one picture - it's enough to ruin both of us. I can't let that happen to Bolin."

Sighing, Korra put her hands on her hips before walking over to Mako. She looked up at him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll help you."

He nodded, the briefest flashes of relief crossing his face. "We don't have much time. If we're going to do this, we have to do it tonight."

She removed her hand from his shoulder. "I'll meet you at the Ferry. I'm gonna go talk to Bolin."

Mako shot her a look, causing her to shake her head as she began to walk away. "Don't worry, Mako, I won't tell him everything."

She left out that she did feel Bolin had a right to know that his brother was in a tight spot.


	11. Chapter 11

Korra approached Bolin, who was sitting at the steps in front of the boy's dormitories. He had his elbows on his knees, his hands folded with his chin resting on his hands. She sat down next to him. "You okay?" she found herself asking.

"What did Mako want?" he asked, keeping his eyes in front of him. She knew he was avoiding her question.

"He needs my help for something. We'll probably be out all night," Korra answered, frowning slightly.

"What? Why?" Bolin turned to look at her, lifting his head from his hands. His eyes were wide, questioning.

"It's for the sake of the team," Korra said. She leaned back against the steps, putting her arms behind her. "I just wanted to let you know."

"If it's for the sake of the team, then let me help!" Bolin got up from the steps, standing up straight. "I can help, too!

"I really think you should stay away from your brother, right now, Bolin," she said, pushing herself off the stone steps. She pulled him in for a tight hug, sighing into his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. Sighing, he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Why does no one think I can take care of myself...?" Bolin muttered into her shoulder. "I'm not a little kid any more! I can help, too!"

Korra winced, knowing the question was directed at her just as much as it was directed at Mako. "I _know _you can take care of yourself, Bolin," she whispered, pulling away from him. She looked up at him, brushing his stubborn curl out of his eyes. "This is something I know Mako would prefer if you didn't come along with us. I also don't want you anywhere near that bastard, okay? I don't even want to be near him - but I don't think this is something he can do alone."

Bolin nodded, pouting slightly. "Fine... Just be careful, okay? I don't want either one of you getting hurt..."

Korra smiled, leaning in to kiss Bolin softly. "We'll be fine. I gotta go meet up with Mako at the Ferry. Go get some sleep, okay? You need it far more than I do." She pulled away from him, flashing him another smile before making her way towards the docks.

She hoped that he would actually listen to her and get some rest.

* * *

Mako stood with his back to the island, his hands in his pockets. As he heard footsteps approach him, he turned to face Korra. Her expression was grim. "Bolin almost wanted to come along."

"Did you tell him to stay behind?" Mako asked, raising an eyebrow. "He seems to listen to you." He felt a pang of jealousy at that, but he kept the feeling squashed down.

"Yeah, but he wasn't happy about it," Korra muttered, putting her hand on her hip. "So where are we going? Do you even know where to start looking for these supposed pictures? I still think the guy is fucking with you."

"His apartment." Mako walked onto the ferry, Korra not too far behind him.

"Do you even know where that is?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've been there...once," Mako answered, his eyes strangely distant as he looked out over the water. "He should be at Narook's celebrating. The Wolfbats always celebrate their wins. I'm guessing we have a couple of hours to look."

"What if he comes back and finds us in his apartment?" Korra leaned over the railing, watching the water as the ferry began to make its way across Yue Bay. "You said he was a bloodbender, right?"

"It's not a full moon," Mako said, shaking his head. "Either way, you're the Avatar. You should be able to kick his ass, if he comes home and we're still there."

"Heh, true," Korra muttered. "I'd love to mop the floor with his stupid hair, anyway. But if the press finds out -"

"We're out of the tournament," Mako finished for her, nodding. "I think if we let Tahno do whatever the hell he wants, we're out of the tournament, anyway. And I know how much it means to Bolin to even make it this far..." He sighed, pulling his scarf up over his chin just slightly.

"You sure you want to help me do this? I was the one who got myself into this mess, anyway," he admitted finally, turning to face her. "And I did a terrible thing to Bolin. I don't deserve to be his older brother."

"I already told you, I'm not doing it for you," Korra said, glancing at him.

He nodded, remaining silent as the ferry reached the end of the bay. When they walked off, he headed towards Tahno's apartment. Despite knowing that Tahno would be out celebrating, he knew they didn't have a lot of time to get to his apartment, break in, and search for the pictures. As much as he would have preferred to do this alone, he didn't want to run the risk of running into Tahno by himself.

"So what's the deal with Tahno, anyway?" Korra asked suddenly as she followed him down the city streets. "Why's he obsessed with your brother?"

Mako shrugged. "I don't particularly care as long as he doesn't get to lay a hand on Bolin."

It was Korra's turn to remain silent as they walked. Soon enough, they were in front of Tahno's apartment complex. As much as he didn't want to remember Tahno's room number, the numbers had etched themselves into his mind the night Tahno had brought him here. Dread built up in his stomach. What if Tahno didn't keep the pictures at his apartment? What if he really had been bluffing and the one picture he showed Mako was all he had?

What if Korra found the pictures first?

The thought chilled him, making it difficult to breath as they stood in front of Tahno's apartment. It, thankfully, appeared vacant. "You think the door's locked?" Korra asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Only one way to find out..." he muttered, putting his hand on the knob. When the door didn't so much as budge, he glanced at Korra and shook his head. "We need a way in that won't alert him that we'd been here."

He was glad he had said that, because Korra had already geared up to kick in the door, just like she had with the Triple Threat's hideout. She put her leg down, frowning. "I don't know about you, but I have no idea how to pick a lock."

"Do you have a barrette on you - or a bobby pin?" Mako asked. It had been a long, long time since he picked a lock. But he knew he'd be able to do it, as long as Korra provided him with the light he needed. When she handed him a bobby pin, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Give me a light, will you?"

When Korra palmed a small flame near his head, he got to work on the lock, trying to move quickly so as to garner less suspicion from any of Tahno's neighbors. When the lock gave with a click, he pushed the door open smoothly. He created his own flame in his palm. "We need to leave the lights off while we look, just in case someone notices the lights are on," he told her.

"Sounds like you've done this sort of thing before," she said grudgingly, stepping into the apartment behind him. "How many places did you break into when you were a kid?"

"Hey, I did it to make sure Bolin and I had some damn food in our stomachs. Or so the Triple Threats would keep us safe," Mako hissed, his eyebrows knitting together. He looked around Tahno's apartment, avoiding looking at the couch as much as possible. "I think the bedrooms are back this way - we should start there, first."

"Aye aye, Captain," Korra muttered, walking ahead of him and down the short hallway. She opened the first door, Mako choosing a second door. He was surprised to see that the rest of the apartment was just as bare the living room. There was a large bed in the corner and a single nightstand and not much else. Mako immediately moved to search under the bed, or even in for a loose floorboard, but found nothing.

"You find anything?" he called out, opening the drawer to the nightstand. It, too, was bare before Mako moved on to the closet in the corner. His heart was quickly sinking into his stomach, especially after Korra's lack of an answer. Something wasn't right - this was the right apartment, he knew that by the rare picture on the nightstand of Tahno and his teammates. But something was missing. It didn't have a distinct feeling of home.

The closet, too, seemed awfully bare for a home. Frowning, Mako walked out of the bedroom, looking to return back to the room Korra was in. He closed the bedroom behind him, walking through the open door. Korra was on her hands and knees, searching underneath a table. "Find anything?" he asked, causing her to jump and hit her head on the underside of the table.

"No. Are you sure someone even lives here? There's like, nothing here," Korra said, sitting up on her knees. She looked up at Mako. "I take it you found nothing, too."

"C'mon, let's get out of here. Before someone finds us." Just as Mako turned to leave the bedroom, Korra put a hand on his arm.

"You hear that?" she whispered, keeping him where he was.

Mako stopped moving, listening carefully. "The door! Quick, in the closet!" She was already on her way into the closet when he followed close behind her.

"Shit! You said he wouldn't be home," Korra hissed beside him, giving him as much space as possible.

They could hear voices now - Tahno's specifically. He was with at least one other person - another guy?

And then it clicked. Mako felt his face flush as moaning came from the living room. "Don't worry," he whispered to Korra, "he doesn't take that long."

He was grateful he couldn't see Korra's face, because it meant she couldn't see his. "Wait, are they - ?" She was cut off by a rather enthusiastic cry of "Fuck me harder!" coming from the living room.

Tahno didn't actually live in this apartment, Mako realized as his stomach fell by his feet. "We have to follow him when he leaves."

"What?!"

"When he leaves - he doesn't live here. He lives somewhere else. We have to follow him there - that's gotta be where he's keeping the pictures."

"I hope you're right, Captain."

He hoped he was right, too.


	12. Chapter 12

Mako shifted on his feet, careful not to make any noise as they heard Tahno make his way through the apartment. Korra puffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to keep her distance from Mako in the small closet. Slowly, Mako opened the door, listening for Tahno's footsteps. They moved away, heading out of the apartment. He signaled Korra to follow him, both of them slipping out of the closet and out of the room just as Tahno shut the apartment door behind him.

"I wish we had Naga," Korra muttered under her breath. Mako wanted to agree with her, but otherwise didn't say anything as they slipped out the apartment. They made sure the door was locked as they watched Tahno slip away from his own apartment.

They kept their distance, Mako trying to disguise his footsteps along with Korra's. The city seemed to absorb any sound their feet made, but he knew it was late enough out that any unusual sound might alert Tahno to their presence.

"Hey smart guy," Korra said after a while, "how the hell do you plan on getting inside Tahno's real apartment?"

"Knock him out and hope he doesn't wake up while we ransack the place?" he offered, wincing. Korra grinned, though he could tell that she wasn't exactly happy with this plan.

"Sounds right up my alley..." she muttered, punching her hand with her fist. "I'll knock his stupid hair off."

Mako shook his head. "You think you could make a little less noise? I don't want him to hear us," he hissed. "Keep your voice low, will you?"

"Sorry, Captain," Korra whispered. Mako bit back a sigh, shaking his head again. Tahno made no move to look behind him, which worked in their favor. "So...how did you know about that other apartment?" she asked suddenly, turning to him.

Mako avoided her gaze. "I told you, I've been there once."

Korra stopped walking, her expression changing from curious to horrified. "Y-You had sex with Tahno?!" she practically shrieked. Without thinking, Mako pushed Korra down an alleyway.

"What did I just tell you about being loud?!" he hissed back, glancing behind them. He leaned against the wall, listening for the sounds of Tahno's footsteps. When the footsteps didn't come, he breathed a sigh of relief. "I swear, Korra, if we get caught because of your carelessness -"

"We wouldn't be in this mess if you didn't rape your little brother!" Korra shot back, causing him to wince. "And why the fuck would you have sex with Tahno? It's _Tahno_. No is even in his damn name!"

"Because he gave me no fucking choice by bloodbending me," Mako growled, forcing the memories of Tahno bloodbending him into doing all of those things. He knew what it was Tahno had wanted, but he had thought he'd at least have some semblance of control.

Korra's eyes grew wide at that, her mouth hanging open slightly as Mako turned on his heel and glanced around the edge of the alleyway. "C'mon, we can still catch up to him if you keep quiet, this time," he muttered. She shut her mouth, following close behind Mako as they resumed following Tahno to his apartment.

Mako was grateful when Tahno turned towards another apartment complex, walking up the stairs and just past the door. Korra followed him swiftly, suddenly very light on her feet. Mako tried to keep up with her. They didn't want to be seen, but they definitely didn't want to lose sight of him, either.

As close as they stayed, he was surprised Tahno did not once turn around. Did Tahno know they were behind him? Was he just waiting for them to attack?

How did Korra intend to knock him out? He wanted to ask, but she had already bent some earth, pulling it along behind her as she approached Tahno. Tahno began to unlock his apartment door just as the earth moved around his neck before he could even react. Just as he tried to whirl around to find her, she bent the stone underneath him, keeping him from looking at her as the rocks around his neck tightened until he collapsed.

"That should do it," she muttered, stepping over Tahno and into his now-open apartment. "C'mon, Captain, we don't have all night. He should only be out for ten minutes at the most."

"What'll we do then?" Mako asked, hesitantly stepping around Tahno. Mako dragged him into the apartment with them, shutting the door behind him. Korra raised an eyebrow at him. "What? We can't leave him outside, someone will see!"

"It'll just make it easier to choke him back out if he wakes up, I guess," Korra said, shrugging as she began to stalk through Tahno's apartment. Mako immediately noticed the difference - the number of photographs laying around the apartment was almost unbelievable. "Is he in love with himself or something?" Korra murmured as she disappeared down the hallway.

Mako opened a door and flicked on a light. "What the -? Korra! Come in here!"

It had to be a dark room. It _had_to be. Korra stepped in beside him, her jaw dropping. "No way..."

Sighing, Mako stepped over to one of the tables and began sorting through the piles. Korra followed him, doing the same. It took all of his effort to keep his breathing steady, to keep from freaking out as he sorted through picture after picture of his brother. In some of them, Bolin was half-dressed, as if he were getting changed from his normal attire and into his probending gear.

"The hell...?" Korra began, picking up a stack of photographs. "Mako, come look at this," she said, urging him over to her. She flipped through a stack, pulling out a few photographs. He glanced at them. One of them immediately stuck out.

"That - that's the picture," Mako said, gulping. He could feel the heat come off of Korra as she pointed out another picture. Mako narrowed his eyes. "That - that's impossible. That's the same picture but with just me in it - "

"And you're still clothed," Korra finished for him, her voice strained. "Mako, he faked the pictures. He doctored them up!"

Mako felt a wave of relief wash over him, if just for a moment, while he and Korra began sifting through the rest of the pictures. More incriminating pictures cropped up, each one with a set of pictures that they had been doctored from. The number of pictures caused Mako to step back.

"There's no way we can find them all," he muttered, glancing around the room. "He has to have hundreds of pictures."

"And ninety percent of them have to be of just Bolin," Korra said, scrunching her nose. "He's obsessed with your brother, Mako."

"He's outright stalking him," Mako growled, his fists balling at his sides. "Do you think we could get Lin involved?"

Korra stuck out her lip in thought. "...Tenzin did say he might be able to help. Want to go to him? He might be able to get Lin to come out here...legally."

"Yeah...let's get out of here - before Tahno wakes up."

"Take a couple of pictures - any of them," Korra suggested. "Particularly a set - to show what Tahno's been doing."

Mako nodded, picking up the same set Korra had showed him earlier. He turned to walk out of the room, Korra following him. She still seethed - he could feel the heat come off her body, radiating from her palms as she pushed past Mako.

So when Tahno stood in front of them, two pools of water suspended in the air, his eyes blazing, Korra immediately redirected them, forcing Tahno against the wall and encasing his hands in ice. She held a flame in her hand, pinning him with the other. "You try and do anything like that again and I will fucking rip your stupid hair from you stupid head, you got me?"

The water around his arms dropped to the floor as Tahno willed it back from ice to water, glaring at both Mako and Korra. "You're not getting the hell away with this," he hissed. "This is my apartment! You're breaking and entering!"

"You're stalking my brother!" Mako growled, his own flame growing larger in his hand. "How many fucking times have you taken his picture? How many of those disgusting pictures did you doctor up to get your rocks off?"

Korra glanced at at Mako, putting her own flame out while putting her hand to Mako's chest. "Not the time, Captain," she muttered, letting go of Tahno. Tahno fell to the floor, losing his balance momentarily on the slick hardwood floor. The rocks she had bent earlier came flying through the air, circling Tahno's neck again. He grabbed at them, trying to pull them away from his throat. "We're leaving. And you're coming with us."

"What? Why are you taking me with you?" Tahno gasped, still clawing at the stones.

Mako narrowed his eyes at Tahno. "We don't want you to destroy the evidence."

Korra grabbed Tahno by the arm, loosening the chain of rocks around his neck. Mako watched her drag him away and out of his apartment. Tahno shook, though Mako couldn't tell if it was rage or from fear. "Where are you taking me?" he asked, his voice pleading.

"To Chief Bei Fong. I think she'd like to know that you're stalking my boyfriend. _And_that you used bloodbending to rape Mako - and are blackmailing him with fake photographs," Korra muttered. As she spoke, the rocks seemed to tighten again, causing Tahno to gag slightly.

Mako reminded himself never to truly piss off Korra ever again.


	13. Chapter 13

Bolin shifted on his feet. Part of him told him to let Korra and Mako handle whatever it was they were handling on their own. Not to get Tenzin involved or anyone else.

But he was tired of sitting and waiting. Tired of being treated like a child. And while he wasn't exactly with his brother - was still afraid of him, he still wanted to _help_. So when he approached Tenzin, he had a moment of hesitation. Almost turned around and went back to his room.

Instead, he squared his shoulders. Tried to appear confident, even if the older man intimidated him, just a bit. "Uh, Mr. Tenzin, sir?" he squeaked, cursing himself as he tried to regain his composure.

"What is it, Bolin?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's about Korra - and my brother," Bolin said after clearing his throat. He squared his shoulders again. "They've been gone awhile. I'm concerned about both of them."

Tenzin sighed and shook his head. "Let me guess: Korra decided it was best to take care of things her way instead of coming to me or even Lin, first?" He seemed resigned as he stroked his beard in thought. "One of these days that girl is going to get into some real trouble."

Bolin had to smile slightly at that. When Tenzin stopped stroking his beard, he managed a small smile back at Bolin. "I'm sure they're both fine, Bolin. They did manage to rescue you from Amon entirely on their own. But just in case, I will contact Lin."

"Thank you, Mr. Tenzin, sir!" Bolin said, bowing slightly. "Is it okay if I come with you?"

Tenzin nodded, turning on his heel. Bolin didn't hesitate to follow, his chest feeling lighter than it had all night. Still, part of him worried.

He just hoped he had no real reason to.

* * *

"And what, exactly, were you doing in this young man's apartment at two in the morning?" Lin asked, turning to Korra. Korra still held onto Tahno tightly, Mako flanking his other side.

"He was blackmailing my team! With fake pictures!" Korra explained, letting go of Tahno. Lin just put her fingers to her forehead, rubbing it slightly.

"Let me see these supposed fake pictures," Lin ordered, putting her hand on her hip. The fact that the Avatar had decided to show up at her station at two in the morning, two young men in tow couldn't mean anything good. When Mako handed a set of pictures over, she frowned. She flipped through them.

The man standing between Mako and Korra shook - she could feel the vibrations through the stone floor of the station. She could even feel his heartbeat speed up as she studied the photographs. "These appear to be doctored," she said quietly, sitting down in her seat. "And there are an awful lot of pictures of your other friend, Korra." Lin set the pictures down in front of her, looking up from her desk. "You say he was blackmailing your team?"

Mako stepped forward, another picture in his hand. She could feel him shake, too, but he had to be shaking for different reasons. "He wanted us to throw the pro-bending tournament, so that his team would win the Championship for the fourth year in a row," he said, his voice subdued. "This is the picture he was intending to send to the press, if I didn't do what he said."

It only took a glance at the picture to understand why neither one of them would want it to go public. "This doesn't change the fact that two of you were breaking and entering into this young man's apartment," she uttered, standing back up as she laid the last picture down with the pile. She put her hands behind her back and regarded Korra warily.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the phone rang. Holding back a sigh, she answered it. "Chief Bei Fong." When Tenzin's voice filled her ear, she sighed. "I have her right here, in fact. And two others." She frowned. "Of course. I can hold the three of them until you arrive."

Korra's eyes grew wide. Mako frowned. Tahno just continued to try and look for an out. "Hear that, Avatar?" Lin said, hanging up the phone. "Tenzin will be here in a few minutes. He said he's also bringing your friend Bolin - he insisted he come along."

Interesting. Both Korra and Mako tensed at the same time, their heart rates both picking up as well. She leveled the three of them with a gaze. "Tahno, you could do some heavy time because of these photographs. Tell me, how many other teams have you blackmailed?"

Tahno glared at her. "I wasn't blackmailing anyone," he muttered. "These two planted the photos in my apartment! If they've broken in once they've probably done it before! I've never seen them in my life!"

Lin smirked. "If you're going to lie to me, you might want to try a little harder, next time." She picked up the photographs, putting the most incriminating one behind the group. "Of course, blackmail works best when there are grains of truth to it."

Mako tensed again. She narrowed her eyes. "When Tenzin gets here I may want to interrogate the three of you separately. Blackmailing ruins the integrity of Pro-Bending. And while I'm not necessarily a fan of the sport, I understand the Championship is important to the three of you."

The three of them stood in uneasy silence as she sat at her desk. When Tenzin walked in, a young man several paces behind him, she didn't even look up. Tenzin immediately turned to Korra. "Care to explain why you are in Lin's office at two in the morning?" he asked, his voice heavy. Tired. Lin had to smirk.

"It might be better if I explain everything, Tenzin," Lin muttered, standing up again. "The Avatar and her friend went to investigate Tahno's apartment without his explicit permission."

The way Tenzin bristled with this information amused her.

"However, they found several sets of doctored photographs. Quite a few of them are of the young man standing behind you."

Bolin looked up from his hands, his eyebrows knitting together. "M-Me?"

She nodded. She didn't dare mention the photograph of him and his brother - didn't dare mention the implication of it. Instead, she just handed Tenzin the photographs on her desk. "I wish to interrogate the Avatar, her two friends, and Tahno. I have already sent officers to Mr. Tahno's apartment to investigate the blackmail accusations further."

Tenzin nodded, his expression darkening as he sifted through the photographs. "I'll keep the eye on the rest while you perform the interrogations, then," he responded, frowning. "I'll let Pema know it will be a while before I return. I am assuming you want to start with Tahno, first?"

"Actually, I will interrogate him and Mako last. I figure they have the most they need to tell me," Lin answered. She turned on her heel. "Korra, follow me, please. I wish to speak with you, first."

Now came the part of the job she hated.


	14. Chapter 14

Lin crossed her arms over her chest as she paced the interrogation room. Korra had stuck to her story, her heart rate and breathing giving no indication of her telling a lie. Not full ones, at least. Korra knew something that she wasn't telling Lin - but Lin knew that it didn't really matter. That she would get the information out of someone.

Sighing, she dismissed Korra, making mental note of her story. She _should _lock the Avatar up for breaking and entering - but she knew Tenzin would never allow that to happen. As much as she'd love to hold Korra accountable, she couldn't.

She called the younger brother in next. The poor boy could hardly keep himself upright in his seat. He folded his hands together in front of him, spoke in incredibly polite tones. Lin could admit she liked this one - but she knew she had to ask him some difficult questions.

"Did you know that Tahno was blackmailing your teammates?" Lin asked, sitting in the seat across from Bolin's.

"N-No, ma'am," he answered, shaking his head. He frowned, slightly. "Explains a lot, though. Like the other night - when Mako was playing terribly."

The way Bolin's voice jumped at simply saying his brother's name caused her to raise an eyebrow, slightly. She could sense him shaking slightly in his seat. "Were you aware that Korra and Mako had planned to break into Tahno's apartment and acquire the 'evidence' he was intending to use to blackmail your brother?"

Bolin shook his head. "All Korra told me was that she had to help him with something. She wouldn't tell me what."

"So they kept this all from you?" Lin couldn't help but feel a little relieved. Bolin looked up at her, his light trembling ceasing, if for a moment.

"They did," he answered quietly. He looked hurt. Almost angry. If he didn't know about the pictures, didn't know about the nature of the blackmail - she didn't need to question him any further.

She dismissed him, too. Only two left to go. Tahno's would take the longest - she had much more to cover with him than she did with Mako. But the way Mako had flinched when she said that blackmail works best if there's a grain of truth...

She hoped her gut was wrong. Lin frowned, called the oldest brother in next. Mako strode into the interrogation room, avoiding his brother's eyes as he did so. Lin raised her eyebrow slightly again before shutting the door behind Mako. Gestured him towards the chair intended for him.

"I'll start with the blackmail," Lin said, her voice firm. "You and I both know what that one photograph shows. Is there any truth to it?"

"No."

Except she could feel his breathing change, just slightly. How his heart rate changed. How he tensed at the question. He even tried to keep his eyes straight forward, though she saw them flicker slightly.

"You're lying," she pushed. "Have you ever touched your brother inappropriately?"

"_No_," Mako repeated. This time his heart rate definitely quickened again. She gave a private thank you to her mother for teaching her to recognize the physical signs of lying.

She also had to quell her brief disgust. "This will go a lot easier on the both of us if you just speak the truth, Mako. I can tell you're lying."

Mako's eyes widened just slightly, but he otherwise held her gaze. His hands tensed, as if they were going to ball into fists. "I'm not lying."

Stubborn. Of course he was stubborn. "I can bring your brother in here and ask him. I'm sure _he'll _tell me the truth."

But she also knew that Bolin hadn't said anything and likely hadn't told anyone about the abuse he endured because of his older brother. Bolin hadn't even taken the opportunity to tell Lin about whatever it was that had happened while he was in the interrogation room with her. So either Bolin didn't realize what Mako had done was wrong, or he was trying to protect his older brother.

Mako narrowed his eyes at her, his hands balling finally as he looked away. Remorse filled in his features, twisting them. "I never meant to hurt him," he muttered.

Progress. "Of course you didn't. Tell me, what did you do to him?" Lin knew she wasn't likely to get a full answer - but anything close to the truth would satisfy her. She didn't need to hear the details, she only needed to know whether she'd have to arrest the young man in front of her for anything else other than breaking and entering.

That is, if they couldn't strike up some sort of a deal with Tahno, as well.

Mako frowned, continuing to avoid her eyes. Eventually, he looked back up at Lin. "I was drunk. I - I threatened him. Made him - made him have sex with me."

Lin had to stop her eyebrows from flying into her hair. Instead, she frowned, too. Trying to keep her expression neutral in this case wouldn't be possible. "So you raped him?" she asked.

A beat. "Yes."

At least he stopped trying to lie his way through this? Lin saw that as progress, too. Her stomach turned a bit, but she ignored that as she sat down in the seat in front of Mako. Lin folded her hands in front of her. "You do realize I have every right to arrest you right here and now for breaking and entering into Tahno's apartment, correct?"

"I do."

"Unfortunately, your brother has not come forward about your assault on his person. I can't arrest you for that," Lin said, leaning back in her seat a bit. Suddenly the time of night hit her, her bones aching at being up for so long.

She was surprised, however, to see Mako's expression darken at her admission instead of lighting up with relief. "Please be aware, _should _he step forward, I will have you arrested in a heartbeat," she continued, sitting up straighter.

Mako nodded. "So what else do you need to interrogate me about?" he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.

"Why did you decide to raid Tahno's apartment instead of coming to the police about the blackmail - or even those in charge of the Pro-Bending tournament?"

"I didn't want Bolin to get hurt - those pictures - if they had gotten out to the press, they'd have destroyed him. I couldn't - I couldn't just let that happen. Especially not after Tahno said he'd - he'd keep quiet about it all if I threw the tournament for him. If I - if I had sex with him."

Of course. Lin held back a sigh. Two rapists in one night? She frowned. "You were raped, too, then," she said, frowning. "Would you like to press charges against him?"

Mako's eyes widened slightly. Then he shook his head. "I'd rather have him locked up because he's been stalking my brother."

"Stalking and doctoring photographs for the purposes of blackmail won't get him much time. It would keep him off the streets for maybe a year, at most," Lin stated. "If you press charges against him for rape he can be kept off the streets longer."

Mako shook his head again. She could feel him tense at her words. That time, she did sigh, closing her eyes briefly. She had all the answers she needed. When she opened her eyes again, Mako had turned his head away from her again.

"It's entirely up to you," she began. "Should you change your mind at any time, you know where to find me." She waved him out of the room. "Tell Tahno to come in here next. I'd like to get this over with. You and your brother are free to go - and so is Korra."

Mako nodded, getting up from his chair and leaving the room. Lin had a feeling the boy had mentally punished himself enough for what he had done to his little brother.

It still made her stomach turn, just thinking about it.

* * *

The next morning, it became apparent that the ProBending Championship Tournament had been canceled. Mako, Korra, and Bolin stood inside the gym, practice equipment already on, when they received the news. They won by default. The Wolfbats couldn't compete without a waterbender, after all.

The news relieved Mako. Bolin would be safe. Would no longer have to worry about Tahno trying to "recruit" him. And they'd still get the championship pot. They could move out of the arena, if they wanted to. Together.

The thought should have cheered him up. Should have made him happy. But Bolin's face when Mako suggested moving out of the arena - _Korra's _face when Mako suggested that he and Bolin live together again - they crushed him. Made it difficult for him to even consider how the championship pot could change their lives for the better. Never having to worry about rent for months - maybe not until the next probending season started up again.

But money, Mako knew, was never a concern to Bolin. He also knew, deep down, that after the Incident, they could never go back to the way they were. Part of him thought if he managed to stop Tahno, if they could just shake him and his blackmail, that they would be fine again.

Obviously, they weren't. Even more obviously, as much as Bolin wanted to forgive him and just move on from what happened, Mako wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself.

He figured that was the price he had to pay for taking advantage of his little brother - the only family he had left, and the only person he could say he loved. And it ripped him apart, made him wish he could take everything back.

But he couldn't. And nothing he could do would make it up to Bolin, either.

Mako had no choice but to accept it and try to move on, himself.


End file.
